By Goya Dmytryshchak
Australian Tallow Producers at Brooklyn has been fined more than $8000 by the Environment Protection Authority for failing to complete works to control odour pollution that residents described as smelling like “rotting meat”.
EPA regional manager Daniel Hunt said a pollution abatement notice was issued in December, 2017, in response to reports of offensive odour. Investigating officers confirmed a strong odour with “rotting meat characteristics”, he said.
Australian Tallow makes meal and tallow from mixed abattoir materials.
It has previously been fined $200,000 and ordered to pay nearly $820,000 in court costs for polluting the atmosphere with a “rotting carcass smell” three times between June and September, 2011.
The company was ordered to also pay Hobsons Bay council $200,000 towards the Brooklyn Reserve Master Plan project, which includes a play space and recreation zone, plus planting 40 trees. The company was fined more than $7000 in 2013 after odour complaints.
Mr Hunt said the most recent notice required the company to modify its waste receival and storage activities to prevent strong odour from escaping.
“After two extensions of the deadline, an EPA inspection found the company had still failed to complete the work,” he said.
Report pollution to the EPA’s 24-hour hotline on 1300 EPA VIC (1300 372 842).
