In the largest recruitment of specialists in the Environment Protection Authority’s (EPA’s) history, more than 70 officers will join the new Waste Crime Prevention Inspectorate to reduce waste crime.

The major recruitment drive will hire forensic accountants to tackle illegal phoenix activity, surveillance officers, intelligence analysts and more environmental protection officers to reinforce EPA’s zero tolerance approach to waste crime.

The new officers will target activities like illegal waste dumping, the unsafe storage and transport of waste and landfill levy fraud.

The Waste Crime Prevention Inspectorate will work with WorkSafe Victoria, Victoria Police, emergency services agencies, local government and other regulators to improve and streamline intelligence sharing, and crack down waste crime in Victoria.

An additional $71.4 million is being invested to better detect, prevent, investigate and prosecute waste crime through Recycling Victoria – the Government’s ten-year plan to transform the state’s waste and recycling sector.

The Government is also delivering $11.5 million for new infrastructure to process high-risk and hazardous waste safely.

Other recent initiatives include the introduction of an electronic waste tracking system to better track hazardous waste, using drones to detect illegal activity, as well as a record number of inspections and prosecutions for dangerous and criminal behaviour.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio

“We are tackling waste crime head on. These new experts will detect, combat and help prevent waste crime, and hold waste criminals to account.”

“The Waste Crime Prevention Inspectorate will have forensic accountants and intelligence analysts, who will work hard to keep Victorians safe and the environment protected.

Quotes attributable to Chief Executive Officer of Environment Protection Authority Cathy Wilkinson

“EPA takes a zero-tolerance approach to waste crime.”

“These new specialists will join our existing workforce to protect the community and our environment from illegal and unsafe storage, transport, and disposal of waste.”