Newstead residents, business owners at breaking point over foul stench

Desperate residents and business owners in a blue-chip Brisbane suburb are a breaking point over a foul, “horrendous” stench that has been lingering for years now.

Businesses and homeowners in an inner-Brisbane blue-chip suburb are demanding action over a foul stench they say is turning customers away and impacting lifestyles.

A sewerage smell locals say that is sometimes so overpowering it becomes sickening has been wafting over parts of Newstead for at least the past five years.

Despite constant complaints to authorities, locals say no one has been able to provide a solution.

The Boo, or Booroodabin Community and Recreation Club, which is one of Queensland’s oldest bowls clubs, survived both World Wars, the Spanish flu and Covid.

It is now at risk of being brought to its knees by the ongoing odour which is coming from a nearby manhole.

The Boo general manager Jeffrey Crawford and function manager Heidi Cooper say a foul stench is ruining their business. Picture: Richard Walker

The Boo general manager Jeff Crawford is calling for answers and for the “horrendous” odour to be fixed.

“The issue with that smell has been going on for years, we think at least five or six years, it comes and goes,” Mr Crawford said.

“We think it has to do with the levels of sewage underneath, some days you don’t get any smell and other days it’s horrendous.

“We really want some answers as to why there is such a delay in works being carried out.”

The club has been in Newstead for over 130 years, and has over 26,000 social bowlers a year.

Mr Crawford said the smell “deters people from coming here.”

“Patrons end up leaving much earlier than they normally would, rather then having the space for hours, maybe after an hour and half the smell gets so bad they leave,” he said.

“We really just want it fixed.”

In a statement to The Courier-Mail, Michelle Cull from Urban Utilities apologised to residents and said investigations were ongoing into the cause of the odour.

Booroodabin Bowling Club, Newstead.

“We’re sorry to hear some residents and businesses near Edmondstone and Breakfast Creek Roads are experiencing a change in odour at their properties and we’re investigating,” Ms Cull said.

“As part of our response, we are monitoring for odour in the area, have carried out checks on the wastewater network and sealed two nearby maintenance holes.”

Berlin Motor Group owner Jayden Dietz has advocated for years for the removal of the smell.

He said the smell had also impacted his business and filed a complaint in November last year.

Urban Utilities provided an update to Mr Dietz in January.

“Urban Utilities has completed a full investigation and found a number of issues that are contributing to the odour you have been experiencing,” an email to Mr Dietz read.

“Repair damaged surrounds of two bolted manholes during our investigation we determined these are the points odour is escaping the network, so we need to reseal them and have a task open for our crews to complete shortly.

A foul stench is gripping parts of Newstead. Picture: Brendan Radke

“Install a new drop pipe in the most odorous Manhole as the old drop pipe has been displaced, this job is scheduled for completion in the next few weeks.

“Install Vent Pipe (with filter) out of most odorous Manhole, this needs to be done for the permanent solution.”

Urban Utilities provided an update to Mr Dietz in February and said they had repaired the two bolted manholes, “which has triggered another round of Odour logger’s to be set up (next week) to check the success of the resealing.”

Planning is still underway to install a new drop pipe and the installation of a vent pipe is “still under review.”

Brad Cottrell have been complaining about the smell on the corner of Edmondstone St and Breakfast Creek Rd. Picture Supplied

Local resident Brad Cottrell is over the “smell”.

“It stinks and surely it is affecting businesses surrounding it,” Mr Cottrell said.

“Go down there and stand on the corner of Edmondstone rd, you cannot miss it.”

Dylan Riley-Burns in a post to social media said it smelt like “decaying bodies.”

“I used to live on Austin St, my god it stunk to high heaven in summer. Like decaying bodies,” Mr Riley-Burns said.