• Keilor, Taylors Lakes, Sydenham Star
• St Albans, Deer Park, Caroline Springs Star
• Sunshine, Ardeer, Albion Star

26th April 2006 08:29:38 AM

Continued on Page 7.From Page 1.

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SUNSHINE has carried for 10 years the embarrassing nickname of “Smellshine”, because of the nasty odours that have been floating across from the Brooklyn area.

But residents living close to the Organic Recyclers waste-management company in Bunting Rd said the smell has become less pungent over the past few weeks.

The company reckons that’s because it has come up with a new strategy to tackle the issue.

And Darlene Reilly, treasurer of the Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association (SunRRA) agreed the “pungent, sweet, rotting and heavy-in-the-air smell” which affected Sunshine up to four nights a week had eased.

The Environment Protection Authority recently fined Organic Recyclers $5000 for producing offensive odours and the company is is now working with the local community and the EPA to find ways of easing the impact on people.

The leading organic waste-management company composts green waste and organic materials from nine councils in the West.

EPA corporate communications officer Ruth Ward said the odour coming from the site was “largely due to the movement of green waste material, which can result in offensive compost odour”.

The EPA and SunRRA have spent 12 months corresponding with the company.

Organic Recyclers’ managing director Kevin Banner told Star last week the company was in the middle of developing a strategy to tackle the issue.







“We understand that we’ve had an impact on people. We are working vigorously to reduce that impact,” Mr Banner said.

A letter sent to Sunshine resident John Girardi from Organic Recyclers operations manager Simone French stated that the volume of organic waste had increased by 300 per cent since 2002 due to the implementation of bin collections.

“The increased volumes received at Brooklyn are causing delays in processing the material and we are forced to handle it many more times than normal and in alternative ways,” Ms French said.

“As a result we have established a relationship with a company who have sophisticated technology for the processing of organics. Once this facility is developed approximately 70 per cent of the green waste volume will no longer be processed at Brooklyn,” she said.

Ms French added that as of 1 April, up to 6000 tonnes per year are no longer received at the Brooklyn site.

Ms Reilly said Sunshine residents should not put up with the smell.

“I’ve seen an improvement in the last weeks, but the residents are still not happy with the smell coming in over Sunshine,” Ms Reilly said.

Brimbank councillor Miles Dymott has been meeting with the company to address the problem.

“They seem to be quite pro-active and taking the issue seriously, which I was quite happy about. We just need to make sure that it continues,” Cr Dymott said.

Cr Dymott encouraged residents to report offensive smells to the EPA.

“Jump on the phone and report it. The more phone calls they get about it, the more focus there will be on the issue,” he said.

“The operation of the business needs to ensure that smells don’t leave the site.”

Residents can report odours to the EPA on 9695 2700.

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