Stronger regulations coming to tackle Ipswich composting facilities

The state’s “joke’’ noxious industries laws are set to be tightened after a string of failed court cases in which Ipswich businesses have walked away without being fined for the city’s stench crisis.

A compost stockpile at NuGrow Ipswich. Picture: Liam Kidston.

The state’s “joke’’ noxious industries laws are set to be tightened after a string of failed court cases in which Ipswich businesses have walked away without being fined for the city’s stench crisis.

The proposed changes would force composting facilities near housing estates to use “in-vessel’’, or enclosed, processing for highly odorous wastes.

In a joint statement issued on Thursday, May 9, the MPs representing Bundamba, Jordan and Ipswich announced public consultation had opened on the new laws.

While the changes would be applied statewide, they were driven largely by the longrunning odour issues at NuGrow’s facility in Swanbank

Residents have long complained that existing laws were a “joke’’ with no penalties being handed out for companies which failed to install enclosed composting.

In March, the Planning Court rejected a case by the Environment Department to stop deliveries at NuGrow, which has always maintained it complied wit he law and took odour complaints seriously.

“Stopping the stench’’ was the number-one policy issue for almost every candidate in the March local government election.

Swanbank Industrial Area. Picture: Danica Clayton

Bundamba MP Lance McCallum said the proposed new regulations were a direct result of advocacy by local MPs on behalf of the community.

“I believe companies doing the wrong thing should be brought to account and these proposed new regulations will force them to clean up their act,” Mr McCallum said.

“Too many local families and households have suffered the environmental impacts of a few waste operators and composters, in particular, who have burnt their social licence.

“The Miles Labor Government is delivering this important proposed regulation for our community to give the regulator the power to require all existing organics facilities who receive high risk feedstocks near residential areas to transition to fully-enclosed facilities.

“It’s a major win for our community”.

Trucks near NuGrow site, Swanbank. Picture: Liam Kidston

Jordan MP Charis Mullen said the regulations would also ensure interstate transporters of highly odorous materials could dump waste only at sites which met tougher rules.

“Local composting businesses, who have been identified as the most likely source of the odours impacting our community, are not fully enclosed and clearly this needs to change,” Ms Mullen said.

Ipswich MP Jennifer Howard said the Government had fast-tracked parliamentary debate on beefing up environmental protection laws.

“Ipswich Labor MPs successfully lobbied the Minister to bring forward debate on the Environmental Protection (Powers and Penalties) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024, which finalises the Government’s response to the recommendations of the independent review of the Environmental Protection Act 1994, led by retired Judge Richard Jones and Barrister Susan Hedge,” Ms Howard said.

“Ipswich Labor MPs lobbied the government to commission the Jones and Hedge Review after flooding in 2022 exacerbated odour issues coming from waste facilities.

“We will continue to listen to our community and lobby the minister to make businesses responsible for the odours they are creating, and work to reduce them”.