Gympie council given Environment Protection Order over asbestos dump

The discovery of illegally dumped asbestos at the public tip in Gympie has put the local council in the firing line for possibly millions of dollars in fines.

Gympie Regional Council (CEO Robert Jennings pictured inset) has been ordered to clean up its green waste mulch at Bonnick Rd or face stiff fines after a member of the public dumped hazardous material there.

Illegal dumping of asbestos “disguised” as mulch at the Bonnick Rd tip has landed the Gympie council in strife, with the organisation ordered to clean it up or face fines of up to millions of dollars.

The state environment department has handed the council a protection notice after officers inspecting the city tip discovered the material dumped among its green waste.

The order, issued to CEO Robert Jennings on March 5, says department officers inspected the site on February 22, 2024.

It says that during the inspection council staff saw a member of the public allegedly trying to dispose of a cubic metre green waste bag “of suspect material that resembled asbestos super six roof sheeting”.

Green waste can be disposed of free of charge at Bonnick Rd.

Testing was undertaken on samples, including mulch and medium density boards at the dump, and the council was ordered to stop processing any green waste material.

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Some of the asbestos found at the dump was allegedly “disguised” in a green waste bag. Photo Nicholas Falconer / Sunshine Coast Daily

The tests revealed the presence of white, blue and brown/grey asbestos which “poses a threat to human health and safety and the surrounding environment”.
The council was ordered to stop removing any mulched products from the dump unless it can be done so lawfully.

It was required to report back to the department by late April on its management of the problem.

Council sustainability director Alex Stengl said Wednesday an immediate inspection of the dump and further sampling found no further asbestos at the tip.

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“(The) council is reviewing its processes and has not undertaken shredding of its current mulch pile as a precaution until all sampling has been finalised to ensure there are no public safety risks,” Ms Stengl said.

Details of the person allegedly caught dumping the asbestos have been “referred to our illegal dumping officer for regulatory response”, she said.

Failing to comply with the order could attract a fine of up to $3.23 million, the department’s letter says.

Wilfully doing so risks fines of up to $4.5 million.