Drones will now patrol the skies in Victoria, on the lookout for illegal dumping zones.

A new state-wide Environment Protection Authority (EPA) program will use drones to collect video footage, helping officers investigate pollution reports on land difficult to reach by foot or vehicle.

The drones build on the work of the Andrews Labor Government’s Illegal Dumping Strikeforce – a program dedicated to reducing the illegal dumping of industrial waste.

It’s estimated more than 350,000 tonnes of construction and demolition waste such as concrete, timber and asbestos is illegally dumped throughout the state every year, posing risks to Victoria’s environment and economy.

Last financial year EPA issued 98 remedial notices to stop or clean up illegally dumped waste across the state, with the most issued in Victoria’s north-west, followed by the Melbourne metro and north-east regions.

EPA’s Illegal Dumping Strikeforce Program works to identify, investigate and prosecute individuals and companies who participate in large-scale dumping.

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio says areas with minimal visibility are usually attractive to illegal dumpers – but that’s all about to change.

“Illegal dumpers, including those who accept industrial waste without the proper licence, face fines ranging from $7,500 to almost $800,000,” she says. 

For more information about the Strikeforce Program visit www.epa.vic.gov.au/strikeforce