Old Red Brick Co at Beverley generating dust clouds from unauthorised stockpile of building waste, while EPA order challenged

For two years they’ve lived beside a growing, unauthorised stockpile of building waste, dust covering their washing, homes and lives. Now the company has challenged an order to move.

Dust from an unauthorised building waste stockpile in the suburbs is choking nearby residents, including toddlers and people with chronic health conditions, and smothering their possessions.

Belington Pty Ltd, trading as the Old Red Brick Company, is challenging an order to immediately cease receiving, reprocessing and disposing waste at the Beverley site.

The environment protection order issued in September also required the company to remove all construction and demolition waste by November 30.

Instead the company “set a realistic time frame” of July in a letter to residents dated November 23, with a plan to relocate “all business operations including existing stockpiles”.

But the company also filed a development application for a “waste reception, storage and processing facility including construction and demolition waste” at the current site.

Following dust complaints, the Environment Protection Authority visited the site in May, June and July and observed what it called unauthorised stockpiling activity.

The EPA said the company was in breach of the Environment Protection Act, and the site was causing an environmental nuisance.

Satellite imagery showed “several thousand tonnes” of construction and demolition waste accumulated on the site since February last year.

Michelle, of Beverley, said her young daughter had been breathing polluted air for her whole life. She wants the company held accountable.

“The dust covers cars, front doors, windows, outdoor dining and seating areas. Any item left outdoors is covered,” she said.

“I left my daughter’s toys out overnight once and the next morning needed to use soap and water to wash them. The dust doesn’t just brush off. If I drive somewhere in the morning, I wipe my windscreen. If I go out again at lunch time, I need to wipe it again.

“I try to leave my washing indoors now because of the dust. I rarely leave my front door open because then the dust comes inside the house.”

Neighbour Darren Pinnington said his outdoor entertainment area had become a nightmare to keep clean, thick dust coats the barbeque and comes inside the house through the air vents. There’s so much coming in through the vented skylight in the bathroom that he has to wash the bath out every day.

“This is not a little thing, the mound is three storeys high,” he said. “It’s absolutely massive and it’s all demolition waste, from anywhere and everywhere ... and nobody is stopping it.”

Local MP Joe Szakacs organised a community meeting for residents to meet with EPA officers and the council on Monday night. He also wrote to Environment Minister David Speirs on November 14 but has not received a reply.

“Old Red Brick are gaming a system that is making locals feel isolated and hopelessly disempowered,” he said.

“Minister Speirs and the EPA must use all powers available immediately cease all prohibited activity on site and undertake urgent testing to determine the nature of the illegal stockpile, and what risk may be posed to the community.” 

The EPA said the Old Red Brick Company had “exercised its right to appeal” the order in the Environment, Resources and Development Court, adjourned until January.

A spokesperson for Old Red Brick Co. said they could not provide an “in-depth” response because the issue was before the Court.

“The company is doing everything in its power to resolve any and all issues pertaining to the site; including working closely with council, EPA and local stakeholders,” they said.

The company has assured the EPA that asbestos-containing material is not in the stockpiles because asbestos is independently identified and removed from buildings before demolition.

The EPA is now seeking independent analysis of the stockpiled waste to confirm that.

“The EPA also requires the company to improve its dust management practices and community engagement plan for the Beverley site,” a spokeswoman said.

The council has referred the planning application to the EPA for advice.