As of last November, Mr Appleton had removed about 9500 whole waste tyres. Photo: Wikimedia commons/file photo only.
An individual with connections to a now defunct Albury waste tyre business has been convicted by the NSW Land and Environment Court of an unlawful waste facility offence, after allowing more than 10,000 waste tyres to be stockpiled at a property in Jindera without an environment protection licence.
On Thursday (19 June), the Land and Environment Court fined Luke Appleton $25,000 for the offence and ordered him to remove and lawfully dispose of all waste tyres remaining on the semi-rural property, which he previously owned, by the end of October this year.
The waste tyres were stored at the Jindera property as part of Mr Appleton’s involvement with Carbon MF Pty Ltd, a waste tyre processing business that accepted used tyres with the intention of shredding and on-selling them.
He is the second person to be charged in relation to the business, which went into liquidation after the Land and Environment Court issued it and sole director Mark Fair a $600,000 fine in 2023 for illegally stockpiling more than 28,000 waste tyres at a separate premises near Albury Airport.
Environment Protection Authroity (EPA) Executive Director Operations Jason Gordon said the successful court result was a win for the EPA’s ongoing battle against illegal waste tyre stockpiling and disposal.
“Illegal stockpiling and disposal of waste tyres remains a serious issue, and one we continue to tackle with urgency,” Mr Gordon said.
“The Land and Environment Court’s recent ruling should send a clear message to individuals like Mr Appleton that the illegal stockpiling and disposal of waste tyres is never an appropriate option and will result in significant consequences.
“Any business or person who accepts and stores more than five tonnes, or 500 waste tyres, must have a valid environment protection licence to do so. This is non-negotiable and critical to ensure compliance with all relevant regulations, including the Fire and Rescue NSW guidelines for the bulk storage of rubber tyres.
“These regulations exist to protect both the environment and community from harm, especially given the significant fire risk posed by improperly stored tyres.”
Under the court’s orders, Mr Appleton must provide evidence to the EPA no later than 1 November confirming that the remaining waste tyres have been lawfully disposed of at a licensed facility.
As of last November, Mr Appleton had removed about 9500 whole waste tyres and 45 tonnes of shredded waste tyres from the Jindera property.
More information about the responsible storage and disposal of waste tyres can be found on the EPA’s website.
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