A western Sydney homeowner has become the unlikely front‑line of Australia’s illegal dumping crisis after two truckloads of demolition waste – roughly 10 tonnes – were allegedly dumped inside their fenced‑off property last week.
Unknown to the drivers, the resident was home and caught one of the vehicles in the act. “The driver of the second truck was confronted but fled the scene, leaving the truck behind,” Mayor of Fairfield Frank Carbone said online.
He warned those fuelling the costly blight hitting councils nationwide that “sooner or later, you will get caught”.
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Two drivers are accused of entering a private property in Sydney’s western suburbs last week and unloading two large trucks full of demolition waste. Source: Mayor of Fairfield Frank Carbone
Fairfield City Council is now working with the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and NSW Police “to investigate potential criminal offences, including trespassing and malicious damage to private property,” Mayor Carbone told Yahoo News.
The trucks reportedly had no number plates, but the mayor said he’s confident those responsible will be held to account.
The dumped waste remains on site awaiting testing, with authorities unable to put a price on the clean‑up until they know exactly what’s in the pile.
The driver of the second truck was confronted but fled the scene, leaving the truck behind. Source: Mayor of Fairfield Frank Carbone
To put the sheer scale of the waste into perspective, The Grand Slam Bomb – a massive aerial weapon developed during World War II – weight about 10 tonne.
A small dump truck also typically weighs 3 to 10 tonnes as does the Tyrannosaurus rex, often simply called T. rex, which could weigh between 9 to 14 tonnes.
While illegal dumping has “always been an issue” – like other local council areas – “this incident represents a new trend of targeting private property,” Mayor Carbone said.
“Residents should remain vigilant, particularly if you own an empty block of land or are about to commence construction.”
What’s driving the surge?
Carbone points to a perfect storm of a housing crunch, rapid demolition and rebuild activity, and mounting disposal costs.
“There’s been a spate of this happening…people that demolish homes trying to profiteer on the misery of other people,” he told Yahoo.
The 2025–2026 waste levy for the metropolitan area is $174.20 per tonne, according to the EPA – a bill some offenders try to dodge by offloading on either public or private land.
“This is one of the problems that is occurring, and especially with asbestos because the state government taxes asbestos very highly when you dump it,” he said, adding the issue is costing landowners and councils “millions of dollars”.
Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone warns those who participate in the ongoing and costly issue of illegal dumping will get caught. Picture: Richard Dobson
His fix is blunt: “There needs to be more done to stop this. And quite simply, we need to reduce the tax at the tips,” he said.
“Only by reducing the tax can we encourage people to do the right thing, because ultimately and unfortunately, there will always be somebody willing to do the wrong thing if they can make a big profit from it. We see that in a lot of different industries.”
For anyone tempted to risk it, the penalties are brutal.
While illegal dumping has long been an issue across the country, a recent incident in Sydney’s west suggests the problem is getting worse. Source: Mayor of Fairfield Frank Carbone
Under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, anyone caught dumping larger‑scale waste can cop a $15,000 on‑the‑spot fine, rising to $30,000 for corporations.
For large‑scale “strict liability waste dumping offences”, such as building materials, individuals can be fined $500,000 and corporations $2 million – and those figures double if asbestos is involved.
For the wilful disposal of waste that can cause environmental harm, individuals face up to $2 million and/or seven years’ jail, with corporations on the hook for up to $10 million.
Property owners can reduce their risk by locking gates, installing cameras, checking in on vacant sites regularly, and reporting suspicious truck movements immediately.
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