In short:
EPA Victoria has ordered companies in Laverton North, Brooklyn and Sunshine to fix odour controls after an inspection blitz across Melbourne’s west. Hundreds of complaints about a rotting-meat smell are believed to be linked to a Laverton North meat-processing facility.
EPA Cracks Down After Smell Complaints
EPA Victoria has ordered 10 companies in Melbourne’s west to urgently strengthen their odour controls following a targeted inspection blitz, with Laverton North emerging as a key focus of the crackdown.
Authorised officers and scientists inspected 31 industrial premises across Laverton North, Brooklyn and Sunshine, issuing 10 compliance notices and more than 37 pieces of compliance advice.
Most operators are working to meet the requirements, but EPA says it has serious concerns about CSF Proteins Pty Ltd, which has failed to comply with a notice.
The company operates a large meat-processing and rendering facility in Laverton North. EPA believes hundreds of community complaints about a rotting-meat smell affecting Sunshine and surrounding suburbs can be traced back to the site.
Under the compliance notices, CSF must fix gaps in its rendering plant and shed that allow odours to escape and progressively replace the plant’s roof.
The company is also required to conduct a full airflow study, undertake regular odour monitoring and develop a community engagement plan explaining how it will manage the problem.
Western Regional Metropolitan Manager Julia Gaitan said businesses had a clear legal obligation to prevent offensive odours from leaving their sites.
“All businesses have a clear legal duty to manage their operations by making sure effective controls are in place to prevent odour and ensuring that offensive smells do not leave their site and impact the community,” she said.
“The evidence shows CSF has failed to do that. We are requiring them to lift their game, and if they don’t respond to these compliance notices, we will escalate our regulatory action using the full extent of our powers.”
EPA says further inspections will take place in coming weeks as the regulator checks whether businesses are complying with the notices.
The watchdog is also urging residents to continue reporting odours, saying community complaints have been critical in identifying the source of the smell.
“There’s no technology that can detect odour in real time, so the most effective tool we have is the human nose,” Ms Gaitan said.
