Record $60,000 fine for man behind 'brazen' dump site

A property owner in Melbourne's outer northeast has been handed a record $60,000 fine and ordered to remediate a massive illegal dump site, an undertaking expected to cost more than $1 million. Joseph Chetcuti pleaded guilty to depositing industrial waste without authorization and failing to comply with an environmental notice at Heidelberg Magistrates' Court.

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This was a brazen and highly organised criminal waste dumping operation.

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria became aware of the Diamond Creek property in May 2025 when fire crews responded to an unauthorized fire. Investigations revealed the blaze involved construction and demolition waste, along with asbestos-contaminated soil. EPA CEO Joss Crawford described the operation as "brazen and highly organised criminal waste dumping."

Surveillance and aerial photography confirmed that trucks transported industrial waste to the site. The EPA is now conducting further investigations into the trucking companies believed to have used Chetcuti's property as a dumping ground to avoid lawful disposal costs. "The community is rightly outraged by his actions," Crawford stated.

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Our investigations have identified multiple trucking companies who we believe used Chetcuti's site as a dumping ground to avoid the cost of lawful disposal.

This fine is reportedly the largest issued to an individual under Victoria's Environment Protection Act. The prosecution occurs amidst a broader increase in illegal dumping across Melbourne's suburbs. In response, the Victorian government announced $21 million in funding last October to combat such incidents, including a dedicated task force and council support programs for cleanup efforts.

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The community is rightly outraged by his actions.