Statement from the Mayor of Blacktown City, Tony Bleasdale OAM

Statement from the Mayor of Blacktown City, Tony Bleasdale OAM

Published on 25 March 2024

The Land and Environment Court fining of Dial-A-Dump (EC) Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Bingo Industries Limited

The Land and Environment Court has issued a fine of $280,000 to Dial-A-Dump (EC) Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Bingo Industries Limited.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) received around 750 complaints from residents in Sydney's west, about offensive rotten egg gas odours in 2021 coming from the company's Eastern Creek landfill between March and June 2021.

In 2021 Residents complaints could not be clearer, for those affected the odour was insufferable.

The Court also ordered Dial-A-Dump (EC) Pty Ltd to pay the EPA's investigation costs of $42,575 and the EPA's legal costs, still to be agreed by the parties but noted in the Court's judgment to be approximately $365,000.

These penalties underscore the severity of the odour situation for our local residents.

On behalf of the Blacktown City community and the people of Western Sydney, I want to continue to be clear, we have had enough of our community being exposed to air and water pollution without consequence to the perpetrators.

The well-being of our residents and the preservation of our local environmental amenity is paramount, and it is unacceptable for any organisation to neglect their responsibilities to their local community.

Blacktown City Council has been at the forefront of dealing with this issue for many years.

Three Blacktown City Environment Health Officers were involved in the in-depth investigation into finding the original source of the odour, working with the community, providing detailed evidence and significantly collaborating with the EPA.

The Court's decision to allocate a portion of the penalty towards an environmental restoration project in Minchinbury is a positive step towards rectifying the harm caused.

My thanks to the residents, Councillors and Members of Parliament actively involved in advocating for the community and pressing for appropriate action to address the problem.

EPA NSW Media Release here: https://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/news/media-releases/2024/epamedia240325-win-for-residents-as-dial-a-dump-forced-to-pay

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