- Published:
- Tuesday 2 June 2026 at 1:14 pm
Asbestos removal contractors who don't properly track their toxic waste are being hit with hefty fines following an intelligence-sharing operation between EPA Victoria and WorkSafe.
As part of the EPA-led Illegal Waste Dumping Taskforce, the regulators are sharing information that has so far led to EPA fining seven asbestos removalists a total of $71,225 for failing to use the waste tracker system.
The businesses were fined after they provided the mandatory notification to WorkSafe that they were about to remove asbestos, but then couldn’t show EPA what had happened to the hazardous material.
Under Victorian law, asbestos removalists must provide WorkSafe at least five days’ notice before starting work.
They must then record all asbestos waste in the EPA’s waste tracker system as soon as it is created. The waste must be tracked every step of the way to legal disposal at a licensed facility.
While EPA did not find evidence that the removalists who were fined had illegally dumped asbestos, their poor record-keeping undermines the environmental watchdog’s ability to ensure all waste is properly accounted for.
EPA Executive Director of Operations Rachel Gualano said the joint operation had put the asbestos industry on notice.
“WorkSafe is telling us who is removing asbestos and where,” Ms Gualano said. “Our officers then make sure that there’s a matching waste tracker record for that site. As these removalists have discovered to their cost, it’s very simple for us to catch and fine offenders.
“It’s a great example of regulators working together to broaden their reach and maximise impact.
“The message is simple - being able to demonstrate how harmful waste like asbestos is removed safely demonstrates how operators keep communities and the environment safe. Failure to do so will be detected by the EPA and those operators will face consequences.”
Removalists who have been fined so far are:
- All Over Azzy Pty Ltd
- Melbourne District Demolition Pty Ltd
- Remove It Pty Ltd
- Australia Wide Asbestos Removal Encapsulation Pty Ltd
- JB Civildirect Pty Ltd
- YA Comms Pty Ltd
- Bayside Demolition Pty Ltd
Illegal Waste Dumping Taskforce
The Illegal Waste Dumping Taskforce has further bolstered EPA’s intelligence gathering and sharing, Ms Gualano said.
“We’ll be working with fellow regulators, councils and land managers to identify dumping hotspots and catch those responsible,” she said.
“Victorians are sick of the environmental criminals who dump waste in our parks and public lands. We’re doing everything in our power to catch them, fine them and make them pay to clean up the mess.”
All Victorians have a part to play in preventing waste dumping. If you have waste to get rid of, make sure you use a reputable contractor who can prove it was taken to a lawful place. And if you see illegal dumping or know anything about it, report it to the EPA on 1300 372 842.
For more information, go to EPA’s asbestos waste page(opens in a new window) or WorkSafe’s asbestos page.(opens in a new window) For more information about illegal waste dumping, go to the EPA’s taskforce page(opens in a new window).
Updated