Man fined for dumping thousands of tyres

A man has been fined $30,000 after dumping thousands of car tyres at various locations throughout southeast Queensland.

Some of the tyres allegedly illegally dumped around southeast Queensland.

A man has been fined a total of $30,000 in the Ipswich Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to dumping more than 3500 car tyres at 17 places across southeast Queensland.

The fines dwarf the money he made by charging vehicle businesses a fee to take their tyres.

James Timothy Yoxon was charged with unlawfully transporting and dumping tyres between August 22 and November 14, 2018.

Yoxon was charged with 17 offences of illegally dumping waste contrary to the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011, and one offence of carrying out an environmentally relevant activity without an environmental authority contrary to the Environmental Protection Act 1994.

He pleaded guilty to each offence and was ordered to pay $2361 in investigation costs and $1500 in legal costs, plus fines for each offence.

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Some of the tyres allegedly illegally dumped around southeast Queensland.

Tyres allegedly illegally dumped in a pine plantation.

Some of the tyres were allegedly illegally dumped within site of houses.

The court heard Yoxon used rented vehicles and trailers to collect the tyres from a range of automotive businesses for a fee.

He dumped the tyres at vacant or state land in the Lockyer Valley, Toowoomba, Logan, Brisbane, Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast.

The court heard he used different names and business names to collect the tyres and received at least $7471.30 from the businesses.

He had previously been prosecuted and fined for two similar offences, the court was told.

No conviction was recorded.

The Department of Environment and Science said tyre stockpiles were a serious fire hazard and unlawful tyre stockpiles and unlawful storage of waste “concern the community, and concern DES’’.

“DES investigates every report of the illegal storage of tyres,’’ it said in a statement.

“Unlawful waste activities can contaminate land and nearby waterways and damage Queensland’s beautiful environment.

“As the environmental regulator, DES takes its compliance responsibilities seriously.

“This prosecution and enforcement action demonstrates that DES does not tolerate offences against the environment and will hold companies and individuals to account.’’

To report suspected dumping of pollution incidents call the 24/7 Pollution Hotline on 1300 130 372.