Court takes hardline on illegal tyre stockpiling near Albury airport

Albury company Carbon MF and its director Mark Fair have been fined $582,375 in the NSW Land and Environment Court for land pollution and failing to comply with an Environment Protection Authority clean-up notice to remove the tyres.

The EPA's executive director of operations Jason Gordon said the situation had been aggravated after the environmental watchdog issued its order.

"Carbon MF not only failed to comply with the EPA's clean-up notice but also received a delivery of a further 5000 tyres after the notice was served," Mr Gordon said.

"The company must take its responsibility to the community and the environment seriously."

Carbon MF had been taking payments for accepting the waste tyres and then stockpiling them with the intention of shredding them and on-selling.

Stored indoors and outdoors on a Bennu Circuit property in the airport industrial estate, Mr Gordon noted the tyres presented a significant potential fire risk.

"If these tyres had caught alight, it could have resulted in a serious incident with toxic smoke potentially impacting nearby residents and impeding air traffic at the nearby airport," Mr Gordon said.

A similar concern had been expressed by Thurgoona resident John Haydon when he raised his frustrations in March 2023 about a lack of progress at addressing the masses of tyres.

"If a fire caught, the smoke would close the airport," Mr Haydon said.

"That is the main concern but it's also an eyesore and it shouldn't be allowed."

Stockpiling more than 500 tyres can be categorised as a land pollution offence under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997.

The EPA is now working to have the tyres removed as quickly as possible and will keep the community updated with progress.

Carbon MF was also ordered by the court to pay $33,000 in EPA costs and to send details of the offence to a customer list.

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