Australia – Carbon credits – Carbon credit company misleads consumers
The Federal Court of Australia has declared that an Australian company made false or misleading claims when marketing carbon credits, after Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) action taken against the company and its director.
The court made orders:
- restraining the company and its director from engaging in such conduct
- requiring the director to undertake compliance training
- requiring the company and its director to publicise the court's orders through letters to customers and its website
- requiring the company to pay the ACCC's costs. More.
Australia – Fuel – Dirty diesel supplier stopped
The Federal Court has ordered a New South Wales company to stop supplying diesel fuel that does not meet standards for sulphur levels and distillation temperature stipulated in the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000. Costs were also awarded against the company. Jail terms may apply if the company breaches the injunction. More - click here and go to ‘Company stopped from supplying dirty diesel fuel’.
Australia – Heritage – Damage to rock art leads to $280K fine
A WA company which damaged protected rock art on the Burrup Peninsula must pay at least $280,000 and enter into financial agreements with local Indigenous groups. Work at the company's quarry damaged an area protected as a National Heritage place. More.
Australia – Renewable energy – Deregistered GreenPower company ordered to buy REC’s
A former “green power” company must purchase more than 4,000 renewable energy certificates which it failed to buy on behalf of customers, as part of court enforceable undertakings. The company was deregistered from the GreenPower program but continued to accept payments. As well as purchasing the certificates, the company's directors must write to its customers explaining the situation, and must undertake training in complying with the Trade Practices Act 1974. More.
Australia – Wildlife – $5,000 fine for killing seals
A Perth man has been fined $5,000 for killing 11 threatened fur seals while trawl fishing off Tasmania.
The man was charged with taking an action that led to the death of a listed marine species while in Commonwealth waters, under section 254 (1) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. More.
NSW – Biodiversity - Tree clearing attracts big penalties
A farmer has been convicted and fined more than $400,000 under the Native Vegetation Act 2003. He cleared 486 ha of native vegetation from a property near Moree, without a development consent or property vegetation plan. More.
In a similar but less extreme case, two landowners and a contractor had to pay over $46,000 each for illegally clearing 21 ha of river red gums. Even though remediation measures were being undertaken, the clearing caused significant environmental harm. More.
VIC – Pollution – Transport company pays $130K for petrol spill
A transport company has been ordered to pay $80,000 towards two community projects, following a 7,200 litre spill of unleaded petrol at a Wantirna petrol station. The company pleaded guilty to polluting waters, making them harmful to wildlife. The petrol entered stormwater drains on site, making its way into nearby Dandenong Creek, killing nine ducks and several fish. The company was also ordered to pay EPA’s costs of $50,000. More.
VIC – Sewage – Construction company fined for sewage spill
A construction company has been fined $5,841 after a hose became dislodged and discharged approximately 18,500 litres of raw sewage into Toolern Creek. A water authority had engaged the company to construct a six kilometre sewer near Melton. More.
VIC – Waste – $50K for composting odour issues
A Brooklyn composting facility has been found guilty and ordered to pay $40,000 to a local council’s environment and sustainability program for an odour incident. The company, which breached its EPA licence by allowing offensive odours to be discharged beyond its boundary, was also ordered to pay EPA’s court costs of $10,000. More.
VIC – Waste – Hotel owner $24,000 poorer after dumping waste
A Dimboola hotel owner has been put on a one year good behaviour bond and ordered to pay $10,000 for illegally dumping industrial waste. The waste was from a demolished hotel and was dumped at a nearby farm. The owner was also ordered to pay EPA’s costs of more than $14,000. More.
VIC – Waste – Company fined for illegal waste dump
A Warracknabeal company has been convicted and ordered to pay $12,500, plus costs of nearly $3,000, for allowing industrial waste to be dumped and failing to clean it up. The waste included domestic and demolition waste, dead animals, sixty drums of tar-like liquid waste and several thousand tyres. More.
VIC– Waste – Companies fined for waste-related offences
A number of companies have been fined $5,841 for issues related to waste management. These include:
- a waste transfer station, for odour issues from green waste at its Cranbourne site. More.
- the operator of a green waste facility, for allowing green waste odours to go beyond the boundaries of its Clayton South premises. More.
- a Campbellfield beverage company, for allowing several hundred litres of waste water to be discharged onto a neighbouring property. More.
