❓ Hon Tjorn Sibma questions the Minister for Environment regarding the number of complaints and follow-up actions related to systemic waste levy avoidance in Western Australia over the past four years. The Minister provides the number of complaints received and outlines the Department's investigation and enforcement processes.
AnsweredQoN 89Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to accusations of systemic waste levy avoidance in Western Australia, and I ask: (a) can the Minister please advise the number of occasions over the previous four years that the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) either received complaints about, or were alerted to, well-founded suspicions about the practice of system waste levy avoidance; (b) on which specific dates were these complaints/suspicions brought to DWER's attention; and (c) with respect to (b), what follow-up action occurred, if any?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
2 June 2021
Responded by
Minister for Mental Health representing the Minister for Environment
Response time
8 days
(a) 39
(b)
YEAR
DATE
2017
23 May
25 May
16 June
21 June
24 June
26 June
5 September
6 November
2018
28 March
17 April
18 May
24 May
31 May
31 August
5 September
9 November
2019
24 January
14 March
29 May
6 June (two complaints)
21 June
6 August (two complaints)
12 August
30 August
3 September
10 September
9 October
30 October
27 November
2 December
2020
24 January
27 March
20 April
4 August
3 November
2021
27 January
28 April
(c) Complaints and suspicions about waste levy avoidance form part of the intelligence that the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation receives and evaluates. This intelligence is collected from a range of sources including the waste industry. The Department’s Authorised Officers and Inspectors use both overt and covert contemporary investigation techniques to gather evidence under the legislation that it administers. Joint investigations with other law enforcement agencies, including WA Police, have been, and will continue to be carried out where intelligence indicates that illegal activity may extend beyond waste levy offences. If sufficient evidence is secured to demonstrate a prima facie case that an offence has been committed, enforcement action is taken in accordance with the Department’s Compliance and Enforcement Policy . When information provided by a complainant does not result in enforcement action, it is retained and recorded for intelligence purposes.
The Department is currently investigating allegations of waste levy evasion, however it would not be appropriate to comment on these ongoing investigations.
(b)
YEAR
DATE
2017
23 May
25 May
16 June
21 June
24 June
26 June
5 September
6 November
2018
28 March
17 April
18 May
24 May
31 May
31 August
5 September
9 November
2019
24 January
14 March
29 May
6 June (two complaints)
21 June
6 August (two complaints)
12 August
30 August
3 September
10 September
9 October
30 October
27 November
2 December
2020
24 January
27 March
20 April
4 August
3 November
2021
27 January
28 April
(c) Complaints and suspicions about waste levy avoidance form part of the intelligence that the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation receives and evaluates. This intelligence is collected from a range of sources including the waste industry. The Department’s Authorised Officers and Inspectors use both overt and covert contemporary investigation techniques to gather evidence under the legislation that it administers. Joint investigations with other law enforcement agencies, including WA Police, have been, and will continue to be carried out where intelligence indicates that illegal activity may extend beyond waste levy offences. If sufficient evidence is secured to demonstrate a prima facie case that an offence has been committed, enforcement action is taken in accordance with the Department’s Compliance and Enforcement Policy . When information provided by a complainant does not result in enforcement action, it is retained and recorded for intelligence purposes.
The Department is currently investigating allegations of waste levy evasion, however it would not be appropriate to comment on these ongoing investigations.
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