In early 2018, City of Greater Dandenong Council received many reports from residents about odour in Keysborough. They said the smell was making them feel sick and giving them headaches.

Dandenong’s Officer for the Protection of the Local Environment (OPLE) reviewed five years of council and EPA records.

“More than 25 separate reports may have resulted from activity at the same factory,” the OPLE said.

The OPLE inspected the site with the council in March 2018. A site worker said recent odour reports happened when the factory was making a certain product.

“The business was checking and logging odour emissions as part of its environmental management plan. It had also worked with a consultant to help address the problem,” the OPLE said.

“But the odour was still impacting people’s health. I advised that we could sanction them if they didn’t reduce odour.”

The OPLE inspected the business again in May 2018. The factory had a range of new controls to reduce emissions.

“The business upgraded its filter system and increased the alkaline levels in its wet scrubber unit. This reduced the strength of fumes leaving the premises,” the OPLE said.

“It’s important all businesses have the controls needed to prevent offsite odour impacts.”

As of early 2019, neither EPA nor  the council had received any new odour reports about the factory.

Find out how your business can prevent odour pollution.

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Reviewed 1 October 2020