Hon. Tjorn Sibma questions the Minister for Environment regarding allegations of systemic waste levy avoidance in the construction and demolition (C&D) sector, specifically referencing a submission from the Waste and Recycling Industry of Western Australia (WRIWA). The Minister confirms awareness and outlines ongoing investigations.

AnsweredQoN 108Legislative Council
Asked
12 May 2021
Portfolio
Environment

QuestionView source ↗

WASTE LEVY
108. Hon
TJORN SIBMA to the minister representing the Minister for Environment:
I refer to my question of 5 May
concerning allegations of systemic waste levy avoidance being brought to the
attention of the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation over the
course of the last four years, which I was asked to put on notice due to the
level of detail required to answer. I will ask a more specific question.
(1) Is the
minister aware of the substance of a submission made by the Waste and Recycling
Industry of Western Australia, particularly that ''WRIWA has provided
evidence to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation and to the
Minister for the Environment that levy avoidance in the C&D sector here in
WA is largescale, systemic, organized and long standing''?
(2) If yes to
(1), what actions, if any, have been undertaken by the minister and/or the
department in recent years in relation to this allegation?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The following answer is provided on behalf of the
Minister for Environment.
(1) Yes.
(2) The
information provided has been the subject of ongoing investigations to
determine whether it can be corroborated
with admissible evidence to prove that offences have been committed. Although
some of the information submitted was unable to be substantiated, it
provided additional lines of inquiry and further intelligence for investigators. In order to initiate a prosecution, the
admissible evidence must prove beyond reasonable doubt that the
particular offences have been commissioned. Securing evidence to the standards
expected by the courts remains the subject of active joint investigations.

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