Businessman Michael Anthony to fight EPA charges in court

A prominent Darwin businessman has been charged for allegedly dumping thousands of cubic metres of waste material into Darwin Harbour.

Darwin businessman Michael Anthony has denied charges of illegal dumping in Darwin Harbour between 2016 and 2018. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford.

PROMINENT Darwin businessman Michael Adrian Anthony has been charged for allegedly dumping thousands of cubic metres of waste material into Darwin Harbour illegally between May 2016 and April 2018.

It is alleged Mr Anthony, who is the director of DWD Project Pty Ltd, sourced several thousand cubic metres of construction and building wastes, which was disposed of and spread onto DWD land and adjacent Crown Lands on Mavie St, which has Darwin Harbour frontage.

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The charges come after a year long investigation by the Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority put the operations of and Mr Anthony under the microscope.

The investigations have resulted in DWD and Mr Anthony being charged with intentionally polluting the environment causing serious environmental harm, in contravention of section 83 (1) of the Waste Management and Pollution Control Act 1998, according to the NT EPA.

“The disposal and burial of these wastes raised the levels of the land, covered foreshore habitat and filled a large area of Darwin Harbour with wastes and contaminants,” a statement from the NT EPA said.

The EPA said DWD and Mr Anthony were issued with Pollution Abatement Notices in 2018, but the waste allegedly deposited by DWD and Mr Anthonywas still there.

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Mr Anthony told the NT News “there was no proof of contamination” and that he would fight all charges in court.

“I will be contesting these charges because in my opinion the hazard that has been claimed to does not exist,” he said.

“There’s no proof that has been given to us after one year that site is actually contaminated.

“If there is contamination, I have offered to remedy it in accordance with all accepted NT, national and international remedial methods.”

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Mr Anthony said he believed he was a victim of political grandstanding by the EPA.

“I believe that this is a personal attack so that (the EPA) can get a conviction against a well-known businessman and make an example of me,” he said.

The matter is due to be heard at the Darwin Local Court on Monday, May 27.