Opal Matraville: Botany Rd paper mill smell prompts renewed complaints

The state’s environmental watchdog is investigating a spike in ‘vile’ odours coming from a Sydney business which have been likened to the smell of sour wet cardboard and vomit.

Foul smells emanating from a Sydney paper mill are prompting a spike in complaints from neighbouring residents and a renewed crackdown by the state’s environmental watchdog.

Odour surveys and spot inspections are among the measures the NSW Environment Protection Authority has taken to address the smells wafting from the Opal Paper Mill in Matraville.

The stench is the result of evaporation during paper drying processes at the Botany Rd site which turns about 450,000 tonnes of used cardboard into recycled brown packaging paper each year.

A photo of the mill on Botany Rd.

Residents living directly east of the site have struggled to describe the smell with some likening it to “vomit” while others have put it akin to the smell of “sour wet cardboard”.

Opal Packaging, which runs the mill, said it has developed a strategy to investigate the community’s concerns including appointing an independent odour consultant to assess offsite odours.

Gareth Topping, who lives on Australia Ave directly east of the site, described the smell as a mix of processed cardboard and chemicals.

“It’s intermittent but there’s a definite smell and when the wind is blowing in the right direction – or the wrong direction depending on how you look at it – it goes directly into homes,” he said.

“On the bad days we have to close the windows. We’ve been living here for four years and it’s hard to know why it’s getting worse than it was in the past.

“I appreciate Opal was here first but it’s a densely populated area and they have a duty to ensure they don’t create excess odour.”

Resident Gary Leafe (right) described the smell as ‘vomit’

Nearby resident Gary Leafe is also experiencing the odours.

“It can be quite a mild smell at times but when it’s bad it gets in your throat,” he said.

“I rang the EPA a couple of weeks ago to report it and they asked me to describe it – I had to tell them it’s a vile smell, it’s almost like vomit. It’s very difficult to describe.”

The EPA said it has been working with Opal after receiving an increased number of complaints about odour and noise since April.

Inspectors have also conducted unannounced visits of the facility where officers detected a weak sour wet cardboard odour when offsite and when the wind direction was from the south west to west south west.

An EPA spokesman said that “despite the EPA and Opal’s investigations, it is so far unclear what has led to the increase in complaints.”

An Opal spokeswoman said it was committed to actively engaging with the EPA on the company’s environmental performance.

“An independent consultancy is currently undergoing a detailed audit of our site to identify any issues and we look forward to working through the expert guidance they provide,” she said.

“Community members are encouraged in the first instance to contact the mill via the hotline if they notice any issues so that we can immediately investigate and provide timely feedback.”

Resident Chris Hanson, who used to work in the mill, believes the issue could be addressed by implementing measures such as carbon filters as part of ventilation controls to neutralise the smell.

The site has operated as a mill since 1902. Pictured here is the former mill in 2008.

He said the stench was the latest battle facing the community who are also experiencing ongoing noise from Port Botany and a proposed incinerator – jointly planned by Suez and Opal directly next to the paper mill – that has sparked a petition by 18,265 people and counting.

“The residents in the area have had a gutful – they’ve put up with noise from Port Botany, the noise and smell from the mill, and top of that Suez and Opal are proposing to build a waste incinerator right next door,” he said.

“It’s just another thing they don’t need.”

A map of the mill in relation to nearby homes. Photo: Google Maps.

Opal’s strategy to mitigate the stench also includes identifying potential onsite odour sources and sampling odour sources from site exhausts.

Some aspects of Opal’s strategy were delayed due to Covid restrictions but are now recommencing.

“Limited site access due to Covid restrictions caused delays in the process undertaken by our independent consultant. This is now complete and based on the findings, an action plan will be prepared to be shared with the EPA and the local community,” the spokeswoman said.

Opal encouraged any residents who have any issues relating to its operations to call the 24-hour hotline on 1800 072 734.