$10,000 bonfire at Diggers Rest

A Class Demolition & Asbestos Removal Pty Ltd was burning a mix of green waste and the remains of buildings that had been demolished on the site.

The land on Plumpton Rd is near a residential estate and members of the public called the CFA to fight the fire and then EPA which found piles of ash containing fragments of building material and suspected asbestos.

When EPA officers entered the property on 25 September, 2025 the largest stockpile measuring 4 metres long, 11 metres wide and half a metre deep, was still hot.

They also found bunkers containing burnt waste and building rubble. The officers took samples of the ash and the suspected asbestos for analysis, and issued the fine for depositing more than 1,000 litres of waste by burning.

EPA Western Metropolitan Regional Manager Julie Gaitan says burning waste and turning land into an unofficial tip is against the law.

“Legitimate landfills must be licensed and operate under strict EPA conditions that require measures to suppress litter, vermin, odour and leakage from the site,” Ms Gaitan said.

“Digging a pit and burning waste causes uncontrolled contamination of the land, the air and nearby waterways. Community members don’t like that; they can report you with a phone call and some even send us photos to help with the investigation,” she said.

Cheating on the cost of proper disposal quickly becomes a losing proposition when EPA imposes a fine and makes the offender pay for the clean-up.

Under the Environment Protection Act 2017 and the Infringements Act 2006, the operator has the right to have the infringement notice reviewed or be considered by a court.

Members of the public can report pollution by calling EPA’s 24-hour hotline on 1300 372 842 or providing details online at epa.vic.gov.au/report-pollution/reporting-pollution(opens in a new window)