Neighbours of Old Red Brick Company at Beverley say workers taunted them with dust jokes after car explosion

Neighbours of an unauthorised suburban dump site have long complained about blankets of dust. Now workers taunted them after a car exploded, they claim.

Neighbours of the Old Red Brick Company at Beverley claim workers taunted them after a car exploded on-site, telling them the dust from stockpiles of construction waste that has been blanketing their homes would put out any fires.

Residents say they heard explosions and rushed out to see tall flames and plumes of black smoke coming from the site on the evening of December 23.

Resident Anthony, who did not want his surname published, said he heard a “massive bang” from his backyard, ran down the street, heard another bang and saw the flames.

He said he rushed to see if anyone needed help, but a worker on site simply said: “We’re just doing a fire drill.”

Supplied Editorial Fwd: Smoke from a fire at Old Red Brick Company, Beverley on Thursday December 23

“As I stepped back, he said ‘Don’t worry mate, the dust will put it out’ and then one of his mates was yelling, ‘Yeah, the dust will put it out’.”

Another local Kaye said: “On the first explosion my brain didn’t really engage, but then the second one was bigger and I thought, ‘Something’s wrong’. I ran out and I saw thick black smoke and flames.”

She said after the fire was extinguished, she saw employees leaving in a company van and “pointing and laughing at all of the neighbours”.

“At one point two employees drove past me and my daughter, slowed down and the passenger lifted his arm out of the car and gave us the bird,” she said.

Labor MP Joe Szakacs said: “Old Red Brick Co seem to be having a huge laugh at the expense of local Beverley and Findon residents. And if the EPA doesn’t start to act more swiftly and harshly, the actions and behaviour of Old Red Brick Co will continue with impunity.”

The company was contacted for comment but in an email it said it could not respond during the holiday period.

MP Joe Szakacs with local residents Kath, Michelle, Anthony and Darren outside the Old Red Brick Co works in Beverley. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Last month locals complained they were being blanketed in dust from huge waste stockpiles.

Laboratory analysis for the Environment Protection Authority detected asbestos fibres in half of the dust samples, despite the company saying there was no asbestos on site.

The company is challenging an environment protection order to stop receiving, reprocessing and disposing waste at the site, apply dust suppressant and then remove the stockpiles.

The EPA said all stockpiles have now had dust suppressant applied and air quality monitoring had not detected airborne asbestos fibres.

The MFS said two trucks attended the scene at 6.50pm on December 23 after a triple-0 call. A spokeswoman said a car was being wrecked when it caught on fire, but it was quickly extinguished.

The EPA said it was investigating the incident to determine any need for “further regulatory action”.