“Downright dangerous”: Asbestos illegally dumped at transfer station

The discovery forced the council to fork out thousands of dollars in ratepayer money to safely remove the material.

Asbestos has been dumped illegally at Nikenbah transfer station, forcing the council to fork out thousands of dollars from taxpayers to safely remove the material. Picture: Fraser Coast Council

An investigation is underway after the council was forced to organise an urgent, costly clean-up of dumped asbestos this week.

The asbestos was left at the Nikenbah transfer station, however, the Saltwater Creek Road landfill in Maryborough is the only Fraser Coast waste facility accepting this kind of waste.

The back section of the transfer station was shut down as a safety measure, while the clean up was organised.

As part of the investigation, the council is reviewing CCTV footage of people who attended the facility in the lead up to the illegal activity.

Asbestos has been dumped illegally at Nikenbah transfer station, forcing the council to fork out thousands of dollars from taxpayers to safely remove the material. Picture: Fraser Coast Council

For an individual, fines for dumping asbestos start from $2,669, while for a corporation, could be $10,008.

Councillor David Lee said it’s “not just lazy” but “downright dangerous” as there are strict safety procedures needed to dispose asbestos.
“Council staff were alarmed to discover this week that someone had dumped asbestos in the steel pile and the builders’ waste area,” Cr David Lee said.

All asbestos waste taken for landfill disposal must be double wrapped or double bagged in heavy duty 0.2mm Polyethylene sheeting with a tape seal, clearly marked ‘ASBESTOS’.

Originally published as “Downright dangerous”: Asbestos illegally dumped at transfer station