Ipswich Earthmoving Equipment fined 40k after dodgy concrete dealings

An Ipswich construction company has been fined $40,000 after they were caught red-handed illegally crushing concrete.

Still of body-worn camera footage obtained by Department of Environment and Science officers in the investigation into Ipswich Earthmoving Equipment.

An Ipswich construction business has had to cough up a major fine after a lengthy investigation by the Department of Environment and Science (DES).

Ipswich Earthmoving Equipment has been forced to pay a $40,000 fine after being caught illegally accepting, stockpiling and crushing concrete waste without an environmental authority between July and December 2020.

DES caught the offending on camera, issued the company with warnings in September 2020, however the warnings were ignored.

Initially, fines were issued in November 2020 and then in December 2020 officers from DES witnessed further offending, and captured the incident on body-worn cameras, prompting further fines.

Ipswich Earthmoving Equipment contested the fine in Ipswich Magistrates Court in February and May 2023, where the company was found guilty of a single count of carrying out an environmentally relevant activity without an environmental authority and another count of wilfully contravening a direction notice.

The company was ordered to pay a $40,000 fine in addition to $5900 in legal and investigative costs and $1720 in owed environmental authority fees they avoided throughout their offending.

A conviction was not recorded.

A spokesman for the DES said the company’s offending could have significant environmental impacts.

“Without the appropriate management, the receival, stockpiling and crushing of waste concrete can pose environmental risks to surrounding communities through dust, noise, stormwater contamination and waste disposal,” the spokesman said.

“This fine serves as a strong reminder to operators that we will not back down from taking action to combat illegal activities that pose a risk to our environment.”

Originally published as Ipswich Earthmoving Equipment fined 40k after dodgy concrete dealings