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# Secret EPA Spy Cameras Bust Western Sydney Company for $300K
- URL: https://www.carexplore.com.au/secret-epa-spy-cameras-bust-western-sydney-company-for-300k/
- Published: 2025-08-01T09:23:06.000Z
- Updated: 2025-08-01T09:25:24.000Z
- Description: EPA spy cameras caught Western Sydney waste company Cobra Group dodging weighbridge rules, leading to $300K in fines. Secret surveillance revealed 100+ unrecorded truck movements at St Marys facility. Major win for waste levy enforcement & environmental protection.
- Author: Dylan Gow
- Tags: Car News, Cobra Waste, Cobra Group Pty Ltd, EPA, Fines, Custom Truck, Truck, Trucks, Skip bin, skipbin

**Cobra Waste**, A Western Sydney waste company has been ordered to pay nearly $300,000 after being found guilty of **18 waste offences** related to dodging mandatory weighbridge requirements, following a prosecution by the NSW Environment Protection Authority.

## Major Penalty for Systematic Violations

The [Cobra Group Pty Ltd](https://cobrawaste.com.au/?ref=carexplore.com.au), which operates a resource recovery facility in St Marys, was **fined $258,400** in Parramatta Local Court and must also pay an additional $30,000 towards the EPA's legal costs. The company was prosecuted for failing to record vehicles in its weighbridge software system and providing false and misleading information about waste quantities in its monthly reports to the EPA

## Covert Investigation Reveals Extensive Non-Compliance

In June 2023, EPA investigators used covert security cameras to capture **more than 100 truck movements** in and out of the facility over a week-long period. Many of these vehicles were carrying waste, yet none of the trips were recorded in the weighbridge system, nor were the waste quantities reported to the EPA as required.

Weighbridges are large-scale vehicle weighing devices essential for accurately recording waste movements and ensuring compliance with NSW's waste levy framework.

## Environmental Protection at Stake

NSW EPA Executive Director Regulatory Practice & Services, Steve Beaman, emphasised the critical importance of accurate weighbridge records for maintaining the integrity of the waste levy system.

> "Failing to record that data and therefore providing misleading information to the EPA can put the environment at risk and result in waste levy avoidance," - Mr Beaman

"If we don't have accurate and transparent records, a facility could be understating their waste levy liability and operating beyond its limits. This also increases the chance that appropriate environmental controls aren't in place for the volume of waste being handled, which creates a pollution risk," he added.

## Industry-Wide Warning

The prosecution serves as a **stark reminder** to the waste industry about the consequences of non-compliance. Mr Beaman noted that maintaining the integrity of the waste levy framework is essential for ensuring a level playing field and keeping the waste industry both sustainable and environmentally safe.

Under NSW's Waste Levy Framework, scheduled waste facilities must record the quantity of waste received and transported at their facility and report these quantities to the EPA each month. This regulatory requirement helps prevent illegal dumping and ensures proper environmental oversight of waste management operations.

The substantial penalty reflects the EPA's commitment to enforcing environmental regulations and protecting NSW communities from the risks associated with improper waste management practices.