The Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science (DES) formed the Odour Abatement Taskforce (the Taskforce) in 2018 to investigate nuisance odour complaints, determine cause where possible and consider enforcement as necessary.

The Taskforce is a specialist team of officers who follow up on complaints regarding odour, dust, and other environmental issues, reported through DES, in the Ipswich area.

Since the inception of the Taskforce in 2018, more than 25,000 complaints have been made to the Queensland Government on nuisance odours and related environmental issues.

The data collected by the Taskforce is critical in helping narrow down odour sources and identify potential solutions to this complex problem. Even if you have reported before, reporting each and every time you experience an odour is strongly encouraged.

Report data is paired with weather information, with an objective of identifying the odour source.

Each waste site will have at least two sets of approvals.

Planning Approvals

The first is a land use approval which is issued by the Council. This is referred to as a Material Change of Use application (MCU). These applications include conditions and refer to plans and technical information. These approvals, once issued, are in place indefinitely unless the landowner seeks to cancel them, or there are specific criteria requiring that the use cease.

These approvals include a range of conditions such as hours of operation, layout of the site, the standard of construction of internal and external infrastructure and some site operation matters which generally don’t relate to odour issues.

These approvals are assessed against the Ipswich Planning Scheme primarily, under the Planning Act 2016. For simplicity, we will refer to these as ‘Planning Approvals’.

Environmental Approvals

The second is an Environmental Authority (EA) which is issued by the Department of Environment and Science. Almost all waste operations constitute one or more Environmentally Relevant Activities (ERA). The site cannot operate without an Environmental Authority, which is often referred to as a license.

These approvals include conditions, however the conditions relate to the way the site is operated and managed to address the requirements of the Environmental Protection Act 1994. This includes issues related to the protection of the environment from environmental harm and environmental nuisance.

These approvals are assessed pursuant to the Environmental Protection Act 1994 and associated legislation. For simplicity, we will refer to these as ‘Environmental Approvals’.

Importantly, both approvals are required to effectively operate almost all waste facilities. Council is responsible for regulating planning approvals, and the Department of Environment and Science is responsible for regulating Environmental Approvals.

Once the approvals (as outlined in Question 2) have been issued and the operation of the site commences, there are limited circumstances where operators can be shut down. The primary opportunity for this would be the under the Environmental Approvals and range of compliance tools available in the Environmental Protection Act 1994.

Owing to the nature of approvals noted in Question 2, Council has limited powers to deal with the issues that are likely to be causing these odours. The Environmental Approvals are the primary instrument that can be used to address these issues

Noting that we all generate waste and waste disposal operations are established in Ipswich, Council established a Waste and Circular Economy Transformation Policy Directive in December 2020 which outlines our commitment to delivering a better outcome for Ipswich and its residents. More information on what the Directive has delivered since its establishment can be found at Council’s Shape Your Ipswich page.

The Queensland Government’s Department of Environment and Science is Queensland’s environmental regulator, and is tasked with the investigation of nuisance odour complaints and taking enforcement action against non-compliant waste operators. For this reason, the Department has established the Odour Abatement Taskforce.

Council strongly encourages residents to continue to lodge their odour complaints with the state’s Odour Abatement Taskforce via their website or on 1300 130 372 (Option 3).

Owing to the nature of approvals noted in Question 2, Council has limited powers to deal the issues that are likely to be causing these odours. Environmental Approvals are the instrument to address issues of environmental harm and environmental nuisance. The authority for actioning potential breaches of the Environmental Approvals is the Department of Environment and Science. However, Council continues to play a strong role in advocating to the State Government to take strong action against companies who are found to be non-compliant.

There is no stated minimum buffer in the current regulations. However, waste operators should be managing their sites to prevent environmental harm and environmental nuisance. This includes preventing odour release in accordance with their Environmental Approvals . To achieve this, it is relevant for sites and operations to select appropriate feedstock, management practices and technologies to manage the site to prevent odour release.

Council is supportive of operators moving to better management of facilities, including a transition to enclosed facilities and the use of better technology and practices.

In February 2022, NuGrow presented to Council based on designs for an advanced enclosed composting facility. NuGrow’s presentation can be found here.

However, in August 2022, in the application they put to Council, NuGrow had changed its plans from a fully enclosed composting facility to a revised design which would use Gore textile covering as an alternative to full enclosure. NuGrow’s development application can be viewed here. Council refused this application in December 2022, for two main reasons:

1. Council did not believe these changes constituted a minor change. Rather than a minor change application, it is considered that the changes proposed are either an 'other change' application or a new material change of use of the premises pursuant to the Planning Act 2016. These processes would lead to a more thorough assessment, including public notification of the proposal; and

2. Secondly, based on an assessment of the technical material supporting the application, Council was not confident the amended proposal from NuGrow would provide an adequate solution to address issues such as nuisance odours.

The decision notice, including grounds of Council’s decision can be reviewed at Council’s Development.i website.

NuGrow have since lodged an appeal against Council’s decision in the Planning and Environment Court. Information on the court process is available on the Queensland Courts website.

Remondis already had approval over this site for landfill. What Council approved was part of this site to no longer be used for future landfill, and instead be used to construct an enclosed compost manufacturing facility along with associated waste processing and treatment area.

The current best practice approach to processing organic material into compost is in an enclosed facility. These practices are discussed in guidance material on these types of operations provided by the Department of Environment and Science.

Further information on the Department’s Best Practice Environmental Management Guideline can be found here.

This requires a significant investment from Remondis that will produce better outcomes for residents and the environment.

It is important to note that whilst there are waste operations that are likely causing odour issues, there are equally waste operators across the city that coexist and provide a critical service to the community.

Whilst this situation is extremely frustrating, it is important that we recognise that some waste and resource recovery operators manage their sites and their operations to protect the community and comply with regulations. Some of these operators also invest back into the community and make efforts to build social licence.

Council strongly believes all operators should comply with approvals, protect our community, contribute productively to our economy and help the community deal with the waste we generate.

Residents who are experiencing adverse health impacts as a result of these odours should consult with their local health practitioner. Your health provider can then escalate this to Queensland Health for investigation.

Council is unaware of any grants or subsidies offered by the Queensland Government for the purchasing of clothes dryers, masks or air purifiers. This question may be best directed to the Queensland Government’s Odour Abatement Taskforce or your local State Member.

Any health investigation into the impacts of this odour would be undertaken by Queensland Health. Last year, Council resolved to write to the Health Minister and Queensland Health seeking a public health enquiry into waste odours. This request was rejected by the Queensland Government.

As the monitoring and testing of these odours is done by the Department of Environment and Science, it would be difficult for Council to provide an accurate answer to this question. This would be best directed to the Queensland Government’s Odour Abatement Taskforce or your local State Member.

Council is continuously advocating for all operators to comply, and for the Queensland Government to take action against these operators when they do not comply. Council is also advocating for all operators to develop a social licence with the community.

The first step for waste companies is to comply with the Queensland Government’s environmental regulations.

All waste operators, except Ipswich Waste Services, are private businesses and Council has no legal authority or say over where they accept waste from. Ipswich Waste Services collects municipal waste, does not operate a landfill and holds no commercial contracts to accept interstate waste.

The development of the Swanbank area includes a series of buffers to protect surrounding residential areas.

All operators are required to manage their impacts to protect the surrounding community. The residential areas south and east of Swanbank have been in planning for 30 years.

Waste operators should be managing their sites to prevent odour release in accordance with their Environmental Approvals. This includes selecting feedstock, management practices and technologies to manage the site to prevent odour release.