Waste Tyre Guidance: A guide for private landholders
The NT EPA has published a new guidance on waste tyres to help landholders understand the risks and responsibilities for storing waste tyres.
This guide informs residential, pastoral, and private occupiers and landholders of the significant environmental, health and economic risks waste tyres cause when managed incorrectly on their property.
Landholders beware, the clean-up and removal costs can be extremely high!
See a snapshots from the guidance below:
What is a waste tyre?
Waste tyres (or end-of-life tyres) are tyres that can no longer be used for their original purpose and have been removed from a vehicle. This includes tyre casings, seconds, shredded tyres, and tyre pieces. It’s estimated that 450,000 tonnes, or 56 million car passenger tyres, reach the end of their life in Australia each year.
What are the risks associated with excessive stockpiling of waste tyres?
Environmental and human health - Tyres are highly flammable and can cause devastating and toxic fires. They are about 60% hydrocarbons and burn hotter than other fuel sources such as wood and brown coal. The intense heat generated during a tyre fire is difficult to extinguish, causing damage to properties and inhibiting fire-fighting efforts. Even a small stockpile of less than 10 tyres can pose a serious fire risk. The thick black smoke of burning tyres contains toxic chemicals and poses significant health risks to people.
Economic and financial liability – Waste tyres stockpiled on your property can reduce its value, making it less appealing to potential buyers. Accepting and storing without an NT EPA licence changes the risk profile of the property. Not declaring this on your insurance policy may also void any claims.
Victims of waste crime - Illegal storage and disposal of waste tyres is not uncommon. If you are asked to store waste tyres on your land, you might be the target of organised waste crime activities and should report this to the NT EPA (see how to report illegal activities below).
Your legal responsibilities and licensing requirements?
If you deal with tyres on a commercial or fee for service basis (including receiving any financial benefits like goods and services in return) without the appropriate licence, you are committing an offence under section 30 of the Waste Management Pollution Control Act 1998. This includes collecting, transporting, storing, recycling, treating, or disposing of tyres.
If waste tyres are stored on a private property on a non-commercial basis, correct storage and separation distances must be followed in accordance with the Northern Territory Fire and Emergency Regulations 1996 (NTFE Regulations) and the Bushfires Management Act 2016 (BM Act).
Penalties for committing an offence
An individual or body corporate guilty of an environmental offence under the WMPC Act — such as for the illegal disposal of waste tyres — is liable for criminal and civil penalties, and depending on the offence, may be subject to significant fines. For matters dealt with by prosecution, maximum penalties can be $712,250 for individuals and $3,559,400 for body corporates.
Failing to comply with storage requirements and maintaining minimum separation distances carries a maximum penalty of $18,500 (for 2024/25 FY). This is administered by NT Fire and Emergency Services.
Failing to implement adequate firebreaks around flammable material, carries a maximum penalty of $3,700 as well as $370 for each day that the offence continues (2024/25 FY). Also administered by NT Fire and Emergency Services.
How to report illegal waste tyre activities
If you have any concerns about activities involving the illegal storage, transporting or dumping of waste tyres, these can be directed to the NTEPA Report Pollution website.
If you would like to know more about how to apply for a licence to store and transport waste tyres for commercial purposes, refer to NTEPA website.
When the NT EPA gets involved
Authorised Officers, on behalf of the NT EPA, may intervene if:
- You are maintaining a stockpile of waste tyres that pose high levels of risk to the environment and human health; and/or
- Waste tyre stockpiles have already burnt or otherwise are affecting your land.
Our intervention or involvement will always be on a case by case basis, in accordance with our Compliance and Enforcement Policy and Enforcement guideline.
We apply a risk-based approach, and our governing principles for enforcement. Our actions are proportionate, accountable, consistent, targeted, and transparent.
For more information on waste tyres refer to the guidance, which is available on the NTEPA website under ‘Information for the community’.
