United Petroleum fined $75k after seven-year case over Noosa soil dump

A Maroochydore magistrate has made a ruling following a seven-year court case between a petrol company and the state government’s environment department.

The United Petroleum company received a $75,000 fine in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court.

An Australian petrol company has been fined and ordered to pay costs after a seven-year case over the dumping of soil near the Noosa River.

United Petroleum was found guilty of two counts of must not remove or dispose of contaminated soil and one charge of unlawfully causing material environmental harm.

On Thursday in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court, the company was fined $75,000 and ordered to pay costs of $41, 463.10 by Magistrate Rod Madsen.

The court was told about 109 truckloads of soil was taken from a site where an old petrol station was demolished and a new petrol station was being built in Doonan, in 2013.

The soil was deposited at locations in Noosa including near the Noosa River.

One location where the soil from the Doonan petrol station site was dumped. Picture: Department of Environment and Science.

The court was told the clean-up operation cost the company more than $72,000.

Mr Madsen said he accepted that the incidents created the potential for environmental harm but did not actually cause environmental harm.

The United service station in Doonan. Picture: Erle Levey

During sentencing remarks, the magistrate said the company had co-operated with the investigation by the Department of Environment and Science and had “remediated” its actions.

He also said the company had “learnt something” from the experience and had changed its systems to avoid similar incidents.

Mr Madsen also said the company “was not entitled to have attributed to it” the level of remorse “indicative” of a guilty plea, given the company initially pleaded not guilty.

He said the fine would have been less, had the company pleaded guilty.

The United Petroleum company received a $75,000 fine in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court. Picture: Erle Levey

The court was told the matter was first filed in 2013.

“United has no prior convictions,” the magistrate said.

“United has remediated the affected sites.

“United did co-operate with the investigation and the recording of a conviction could affect its economic wellbeing.”

In a press release, the Department of Environment and Science, which prosecuted the case, said it welcomed the penalty.

“As the environmental regulator, (the department) takes compliance matters seriously,” the release stated.

“It is the responsibility of businesses to comply with our strong environmental standards and obligations.”

A conviction was not recorded.