City Convicted and Fined for Environmental Offences

Published on 07 June 2023

The City of Coffs Harbour (“the City”) accepts the Local Court outcome for the two environmental offences committed between August 2020 and November 2021 at Englands Road Waste Management Facility, the cause of which has since been rectified. As part of the orders of the Local Court the City is required to publish a notice on its website and in newspapers, and on our website on this link.

A copy of this notice is also available below:

Coffs Harbour City Council convicted and fined for environmental offences

On 5 June 2023, Coffs Harbour City Council was convicted by the Local Court of two offences against 64(1) of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 for breaching a condition of the Environmental Protection Licence it holds for the Englands Road Waste Management Facility (Landfill). The Council was fined $20,000 and ordered to pay the EPA’s legal costs of $40,000.

The Council failed to maintain gas flowlines at Well Station A of the landfill gas extraction system at the Landfill in a proper and efficient condition, between August 2020 and November 2021. The offences contributed to increased fugitive landfill gas emissions from the Premises and had the potential to cause odour emissions detectable offsite by the local community.