Billionaire Arnold Vitocco Charged In Asbestos Crisis
Image: Rozelle Parklands were closed three weeks after opening due to asbestos contamination.
Arnold Vitocco, billionaire property developer and owner of Max Brenner chocolate cafes, has been charged by the EPA for his involvement in the asbestos crisis.
Earlier this year, the asbestos-in-mulch scandal incited an immediate shutdown of parks, schools, and hospitals across Sydney.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) announced on Tuesday that it had filed 102 charges against VE Resource Recovery Pty Ltd, with one additional charge against its sole director, Vitocco.
Sydney’s largest asbestos investigation
The charges against Vitocco stem from the EPA’s reports of 26 sites contaminated with asbestos-laced mulch, Rozelle Parklands being the first. The extensive investigation covered around 300 locations, 79 of which were found with traces of the hazardous material.
According to the agency, affected locations have since been cleaned, but dubs the crisis their “largest investigation to date.”
The environmental watchdog said the charges fall into five categories, including an alleged breach of Environment Protection Licences. Meaning they suspect VE Resource Recovery of improperly conducting resource recovery procedures, charging Mr. Vitocco for an executive liability offence in correspondence.
Two other corporations trading as Greenlife Resource Recovery Facility—Freescale Trading Pty Ltd, and Runkcorp Pty Ltd—were also hit with 50 charges individually.
Greenlife’s Bringelly waste facility has been pinpointed as the source of contaminated mulch, which was reportedly distributed to parks, schools, and hospitals. This lead to the aforementioned emergency closures and extensive testing conducted earlier this year.
Greenlife Resource Recovery denies allegations
Greenlife Resource Recovery Facility has denied the allegations, claiming innocence and vowing to “strongly defend” its practices. A spokesperson for the company stated, “GRRF maintains that no asbestos contamination has been discovered by the EPA now, or during any previous testing at its Bringelly site.”
The company suggested complexities in the supply chain as a potential source of contamination, implying that “clean materials delivered to remediated sites” could have been mixed with pre-existing contaminated materials.
The spokesperson added that they were “served with the file documents” only after media outlets reported on the crisis.
Public spaces shut down amid asbestos crisis
While experts assessed the health risks as minimal—most of the asbestos was bonded rather than friable, making it less likely to be inhaled—the crisis caused significant disruptions. Parks, schools, playgrounds, and even major events such as Mardi Gras Fair Day in Camperdown were closed down due to suspected contamination.
A directions hearing is scheduled for 7 February at the NSW Land and Environment Court.
Mr. Vitocco faces charges solely in his capacity as VE Resource Recovery’s director.
Neither his wife, a part of Vitocco Enterprises, nor his son, Dominic, director of Freescale have been implicated.
