A coordinated raid targeting alleged illegal waste activity has resulted in the simultaneous execution of search warrants and inspection of 10 different waste sites on a two-kilometre parcel of land in Forest Lake, just outside Brisbane.

Operation Panther was a joint operation between our Southeast Queensland compliance teams and Queensland Police on 10 June 2025.

Public reports to our Pollution Hotline alerted us to suspicious activity in the area, where it appeared several operators were allegedly receiving and storing scrap metal and construction waste, including asbestos, used and broken solar panels and end-of-life tyres.

Information indicated the waste was being received and handled without an Environmental Authority (EA).

The purpose of the raid was to assess environmental risks, investigate alleged offences, collect evidence and consider if enforcement action should be taken.

Wait. Operations and raids?

Yes, as Queensland’s environmental regulator, we conduct operations, like Panther, to ensure compliance with environmental laws and regulations. These operations are aimed at protecting Queensland communities and our environment by ensuring land and resources are managed sustainably and safely. For Operation Panther, we executed 10 search warrants simultaneously with the assistance of the Queensland Police Service.

But why?

Operations protect the environment – they target illegal activities such as the dumping of waste, unauthorised land clearing and pollution including release of contaminants to land and waterways which can cause damage to ecosystems, habitats, contaminate waters and impact biodiversity. Operators who try to evade regulations often fail to install the environmental safeguards that Queenslanders expect in order to protect our valuable natural assets.

When consumers pay to have waste appropriately handled, disposed or recycled, they should have confidence that their waste is being appropriately and responsibly managed and not stockpiled and abandoned.

Operations protect health and safety – activities like illegal waste dumping or improper handling of hazardous materials, such as asbestos or chemicals, can pose risks to public health, including exposure to toxic substances, contaminated drinking water and air pollution. Avoiding regulation and failing to install appropriate environmental safeguards can put Queenslanders and future generations at risk through inappropriate and irresponsible handling and disposal of hazardous materials.

Operations protect fairness and accountability – illegal operators often undercut legitimate business by avoiding compliance costs, creating an uneven playing field, or profiteering through fees and charges that aren’t invested into environmentally responsible management practices. Targeting non-compliance ensures fairness in industries such as waste management, mining and agriculture while holding offenders accountable for their actions and bolstering community confidence in the responsible management and recycling of waste.

Operations help prevent long-term environmental costs – environmental damage caused by illegal activities often requires costly rehabilitation efforts, often funded by unsuspecting landowners or local and state governments. By stopping unlawful activities early, our targeted operations can help prevent long-term financial and environmental costs.

How are operations planned and executed?

Community reports – a large percentage of our operations (including Operation Panther) occur because the community made reports to our Pollution Hotline. People who noticed something unusual or suspected something was wrong – insights from those reports are often an important part of our intelligence gathering.

Intelligence gathering – through our compliance and investigations work, community reports, technology and networks, we are constantly monitoring, gathering and assessing a wide variety of information and intelligence.

Collaboration – operations often involve multiple agencies. Collaboration locally, with a local council or the Queensland Police Service (for example) or further afield with colleagues in other jurisdictions, are vital.

Specialist expertise – we have specialist expertise in the areas of ecology, science, pollution and environmental law and the use of equipment such as drones, GIS software and sampling air, water and soil. Our Queensland Police counterparts are the law enforcement and public safety experts.

Context is key – operations can occur in a variety of contexts and circumstances. Operation Panther was a site-specific operation across a large area, which meant our team and Police officers had to work swiftly and in unison. Other operations can involve roadside vehicle inspections (for matters such as illegal waste transport activities) or long-term surveillance (for matters such as illegal land clearing) and individual site visits (which target particular sectors).

Safety is paramount – no matter the context, extensive planning occurs and safety is paramount.

What happens after an operation?

Our work doesn’t stop at the end of an operation. Once the operation itself is complete, several things happen to ensure the outcomes are effective, offenders are held accountable, environmental harm is addressed and that we are learning lessons and planning for the future.

Evidence analysis and report – we carefully analyse the evidence collected during the operation such as photographs, surveillance footage, samples and documents. We determine if there is sufficient basis for enforcement actions such as fines, criminal prosecutions or other penalties.

Enforcement actions – depending on the severity of the offence and evidence we can take one or more of the following enforcement actions:

• Warning Notices: For minor breaches, offenders may receive a warning notice outlining the issue and requiring corrective action.
• Infringement Notices (fines): For more serious breaches, fines may be issued under relevant legislation, such as the Environmental Protection Act 1994 or the Nature Conservation Act 1992.
• Environmental Enforcement Orders: Offenders may be required to take specific actions to mitigate or remediate environmental harm, such as cleaning up waste or rehabilitating cleared land.
• Prosecutions: In cases of significant or repeated non-compliance, offenders may face court proceedings, which can result in substantial fines, imprisonment or other penalties.

Remediation and rehabilitation – if the operation uncovered illegal waste dumping, pollution or habitat destruction, offenders may be ordered to clean up the site or fund the remediation efforts. For activities like illegal land clearing, offenders may be required to develop and implement rehabilitation plans to restore the environment to its original state. In cases where offenders cannot or will not remediate the damage, we may step in to manage the clean-up, often recovering the costs from offenders later.

Monitoring and follow up – we may conduct follow-up inspection or audits to ensure ongoing compliance with any orders or conditions imposed. In some cases, we may maintain surveillance or conduct additional investigations.

Policy and regulatory improvements – after all operations, we conduct extensive de-briefings to learn and identify areas for improvements. Areas we focus on include gaps in existing laws, regulations or enforcement practices and policy changes, which may be required to strengthen environment protections and prevent similar offences in the future.

“The main problem with tyres is they are a fire risk and can potentially leach contaminants like hydrocarbons into the local environment if they are not managed and stored properly.

“During the investigation process we provide the person natural justice and allow them to present information or evidence that would be mitigating circumstances to an offence.

“Depending on the evidence collected and the information received, we then follow departmental enforcement guidelines to determine which enforcement tools would rectify non-compliance. This is critical to ensuring enforcement actions are consistent and fair. We also decide whether there needs to be a punitive response, such as a penalty infringement notice.”

Tracey, who has a background in science and aquatic ecosystems and has two decades of experience in environmental regulation, explained how she looks for evidence of potential environmental harm.

“For example, if you have a site processing construction and demolition waste in an uncontrolled manner, that waste is likely to contain concrete, metal, plastics and other contaminants. If not managed appropriately, these contaminants can end up in the environment, including nearby stormwater drains which lead to local waterways and wetlands. These contaminants can impact water quality and ecosystems.

“We visually assess a site, take photographs and video and may also take samples for analysis. These samples are particularly important as they provide us with a very clear picture, based in science, of the level of potential environmental impact – which is extremely important for our investigation and, if necessary, any ongoing site monitoring that may be required.

“A large part of our job is education – we help operators meet their environmental obligations – but equally, for those wilfully flouting our environmental laws, we are ready to hold them accountable and take steps to change their behaviour.

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