By Tate Papworth
A Brimbank council employee has been fined $1900 for illegally dumping rubbish in the municipality.
Ngametua Punua was convicted and fined in the Sunshine Magistrates Court in October, 2019. The court heard that Punua had dumped large bags of rubbish in a Brimbank park with the intention of later having a Brimbank rubbish truck pick them up, at the expense of ratepayers.
Briefs of evidence against Punua reveal that council litter enforcement officers were patrolling Stadium Drive in Keilor Park in May 2019 when they came across the dumped bags.
A search of the rubbish revealed various items of household waste, garden waste and documents with a residential address.
Officers attended the address, located in a neighbouring municipality, where they were advised by the occupants that Punua had taken the rubbish to dispose of at work.
At the time of his conviction Punua remained an employee of Brimbank council.
The council refused to disclose if he was still employed.
In a separate incident, asbestos removalist Steven Sharp was charged without conviction for illegally depositing litter.
In July 2019, a council litter enforcement officer uncovered dumped construction and demolition waste outside premises on Baldwin Avenue, Sunshine.
The brief of evidence against Sharp reveals among the waste was two cubic metres of cement cladding, partially wrapped in black plastic.
Tests conducted on the cladding revealed it to be asbestos.
Officers attended an address after finding documentation among the rubbish and the property owners advised that Mr Sharp had been employed by them to remove the materials.
When questioned Mr Sharp denied dumping the material, but advised he did work for Brimbank council as a contractor.
When asked in what capacity he replied “You know for when people dump stuff and that we pick it up. Mainly asbestos.”
He was fined $2500 and ordered to pay costs of $3445.
