EPA Victoria Urges Homeowners and Contractors to Verify Asbestos Waste Tracker Receipts Amid Rising Illegal Dumping Risks

Overview

On 25 June 2026, EPA Victoria launched a public compliance and safety campaign titled “Keep asbestos waste where it belongs,” following the National Asbestos Awareness Campaign. The campaign responds directly to an escalating pattern of fraudulent disposal practices, where unlicensed operators charge clients for legal asbestos removal but illegally dump the hazardous material in parks, reserves, or household bins, pocketing the disposal fees. EPA Victoria’s Executive Director of Operations, Rachel Gualano, publicly identified this practice as a serious and emerging risk to both public health and environmental compliance in Victoria.

The campaign is directed at homeowners, developers, demolition contractors, and principal contractors undertaking renovation or demolition works involving asbestos-containing materials (ACM). Its central message is straightforward: anyone engaging an asbestos removal contractor must obtain a Waste Tracker receipt as proof that the waste has been recorded and lawfully disposed of at a licensed facility. This is not optional guidance. It is a legal requirement under Victorian environmental law, and the consequences of non-compliance fall on the waste generator, not only the contractor who performs the illegal act.

For environmental professionals advising clients on brownfield redevelopment, demolition projects, lease exits, or property transactions, this campaign signals increased regulatory scrutiny around asbestos waste chain-of-custody in Victoria. It reinforces that site remediation and demolition waste management are not purely technical exercises. They carry personal legal obligations that remain with the waste generator throughout the entire disposal chain.

Key details

Under Part 4.3 of the Environment Protection Act 2017 (Vic) and Part 4.2 of the Environment Protection Regulations 2021 (Vic), asbestos is classified as a priority waste, which means it is subject to mandatory electronic tracking via EPA Victoria’s Waste Tracker system. This tracking obligation applies from the point of generation through to final acceptance at a licensed landfill. Every load of asbestos waste must be accompanied by a completed electronic waste transport certificate, and the receiving facility must confirm receipt within the system. There is no lawful mechanism for disposing of asbestos waste outside this tracked chain, regardless of volume or whether the material is friable or non-friable.

Section 25 of the Environment Protection Act 2017 (Vic) establishes the General Environmental Duty (GED), which requires any person undertaking an activity that may give rise to risks of harm to human health or the environment to understand those risks and minimise them so far as reasonably practicable. The GED is a proactive duty, not a reactive one. A developer or principal contractor who engages an asbestos removal subcontractor does not discharge their GED simply by hiring that contractor. If the subcontractor illegally dumps the waste, the waste generator retains exposure to enforcement action under the Act’s waste duty provisions. EPA Victoria has previously issued fines of $70,000 for missing asbestos waste records, demonstrating the regulator’s preparedness to apply financial penalties in this area.

The National Environment Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure 1999 (NEPM) provides the primary national framework for assessing site contamination, including asbestos as a soil contaminant. Schedule B1 of the NEPM sets out investigation levels for soil and groundwater, and Schedule B5 provides specific guidance on asbestos in soil, including methodology for identifying and characterising asbestos-in-soil contamination. The health-based screening levels for asbestos in residential soil contexts reflect the significant carcinogenic risk posed by airborne asbestos fibres, particularly from friable materials. The NEPM framework does not substitute for, or override, Victorian legislative obligations around waste tracking and disposal. Both frameworks apply simultaneously on any site where asbestos is excavated or disturbed.

Asbestos classified as priority waste under Victorian law must be transported by a licensed industrial waste transporter and accepted only at a facility holding an appropriate EPA licence to receive that waste class. The Waste Tracker receipt that EPA Victoria is urging clients to obtain is the electronic record generated when the receiving facility confirms acceptance of the load. Without this receipt, the generator has no verified proof that the waste reached a lawful destination. EPA Victoria’s enforcement capability in this area is underpinned by the electronic audit trail created by the Waste Tracker system, which allows the regulator to identify gaps or discrepancies in the chain of custody.

Australian context and implications for contaminated land practice

Victoria’s legislative approach to asbestos waste tracking is among the most structured in Australia, but equivalent compliance obligations exist across all Australian jurisdictions in some form. In New South Wales, asbestos waste is regulated as a hazardous waste under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW) and the Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2014, with similar requirements for licensed transport and lawful disposal. In Queensland, the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld) and the Environmental Protection Regulation 2019 (Qld) impose trackable waste obligations for regulated waste including asbestos. South Australia manages asbestos under the Environment Protection Act 1993 (SA) and associated waste regulations. While the specific mechanisms differ between states, the principle that the waste generator retains a duty of care throughout the disposal chain is consistent across all major Australian jurisdictions.

References and related sources

• Primary source: www.epa.vic.gov.au
• epa.vic.gov.au
• epa.vic.gov.au
• sers.net.au
• epa.vic.gov.au
• NEPM Assessment of Site Contamination
• EPA Victoria

How iEnvi can help

iEnvi provides specialist consulting services relevant to this topic. Our team includes CEnvP Site Contamination Specialists with experience across contaminated land, groundwater, remediation, ecology, and regulatory compliance.

• iEnvi remediation services
• iEnvi site investigation services
• iEnvi asbestos services
• iEnvi expert services and independent review services

This is an iEnvi Machete news summary. Prepared by iEnvi to summarise the source article for contaminated land, groundwater, remediation, approvals and site risk professionals.

Published: 29 Jun 2026

Need advice on this topic? Speak to an iEnvi expert at info@ienvi.com.au or 1300 043 684, or contact us online.