Builder fined over runoff at Lara site

RUNOFF from an unattended building site in Lara has landed a builder with a more than $2,000 fine.

EPA Victoria officers found sand and cement waste flowing from the site during inspections as part of a residential construction compliance program.

Greenvale company Jaden Homes Pty Ltd was fined for unlawful deposit of litter, becoming the fourth business booked in a recent EPA blitz on building site pollution.

EPA southwest regional manager Martha Rose Loughnane said builders remained responsible for any waste leaving their sites.

“You must have measures in place at all times to prevent waste from being dispersed by wind, rain or gravity beyond the site boundary and into the surrounding environment,” she said.

“The community doesn’t deserve it and EPA doesn’t hesitate to hold those responsible to account.”

The issue, she said, it widespread across residential construction sites.

“Paper and plastic packaging, polystyrene scraps, sand, sawdust, cement residue, odour, paint or chemicals – anything that blows or flows offsite – is still your pollution,” Loughnane said.

Sediment tracked onto streets by trucks leaving a site is also considered pollution.

The EPA is urging residents building homes to check their sites and contact their builder if waste is not properly secured.

“Everyone working in residential building must know their responsibilities,” Loughnane said.

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

The Victorian government has established an EPA-led taskforce to target illegal dumping on public land. It focuses on high-risk areas and enforcement, working with councils to identify and act on dumping.

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