Property magnate Rosario Pelligra faces court over 500 tonnes of contaminated waste

A construction magnate is being accused of unlawfully disposing of 500 tonnes of contaminated waste.

Ross Pelligra at the old Ford site in Norlane, Geelong. Picture: Peter Ristevski

A construction magnate is accused of unlawfully disposing of 500 tonnes of contaminated waste and concealing information and documents about the waste from the company hired to take it.

A lawyer for Rosario Pelligra, 45, fronted court in Geelong on Wednesday, asking the prosecution to hand over “key documents”.

Mr Pelligra and his company Fortek (Princes) Pty Ltd have been charged by the Environmental Protection Authority over the unlawful disposal of about 500 tonnes of hydrocarbon contaminated timber when decommissioning the old Ford factory site in Norlane in November 2022.

Hydro-carbon contamination occurs due to petrol.

Fortek are charged with providing the company hired to dispose of the waste with “false and misleading information” and concealing information, including a waste classification report.

According to documents released by the court, Symal Management Pty Ltd, which operates under the name Sycle, was engaged to take the waste to its Geelong landfill site, but was not authorised to do so.
The EPA alleges Fortek falsely told Sycle the waste was “solid asbestos” on November 9, 2022.

On November 16, Fortek provided Sycle with a letter it said was from a “hygienist”.

The EPA alleges it was not from a hygienist.

Fortek then “concealed” a waste classification report that it received on November 18.

Just over a week later, Sycle began taking on the contaminated timber on November 29.

Mr Pelligra did not appear in court, either in person or by videolink, but was represented by his lawyer, Glenn Barr.

Mr Barr told the court that he was seeking several “key documents” from the EPA, which the court heard could be handed over that day.

Magistrate Urfa Masood noted that it had been three months since the case’s first appearance in court and the fourth time the matter had been listed.

The case was investigated by the EPA's environmental crime branch, and was first listed in court in January.

Along with Fortek, Mr Pelligra is the chairman of Pelligra Group, which purchased the former Ford site, along with Ford’s sites in North Shore and Broadmeadows, in 2019.

Pelligra Group announced it would invest $500m across the three sites.

Ms Masood granted an adjournment until early May, after Mr Barr unsuccessfully argued for a longer, seven-week adjournment.

The matter was adjourned until a further mention on May 14.

Originally published as Property magnate Rosario Pelligra faces court over 500 tonnes of contaminated waste