Residents ‘suspicious’ of government crackdown on waste odour

The new rules were announced in May 2023 and revealed by Environment Minister Leanne Linard at Swanbank on Saturday.

“Smell affects the lives of thousands of Queenslanders every day, especially in
“Swanbank and New Chum areas,” Linard said.

“This is simply unacceptable and since becoming minister I have made tackling this issue a priority.”

Unpleasant odours in several neighbourhoods around Swanbank Industrial Park have been causing some residents discomfort for decades.

These concerns have led groups such as IRATE to lobby for changes to waste management guidelines.

Linard said the proposed new regulations include sections that restrict waste management companies from delivering “odorous waste” to composting operations that do not comply with the new regulations.

“At the Redbank Plains community meeting in September, I made a commitment that the government would consider introducing stricter regulations that would require all existing organic waste treatment facilities near residential areas to transition to fully enclosed facilities,” Linard said.

“Over the years the Environmental Protection Agency (Department of Environment and Science) has tried to get some operators to do the right thing.

“We have now taken decisive action to strengthen the regulations.”

The government said that since 2023, the number of checks has increased by 40% and the number of arrest warrants issued has almost tripled.

Dodrill described government officials responsible for enforcing the regulations as pro-business.