Akzo Nobel: EPA inundated with noise, odour complaints

Fumes from a paint manufacturer in Melbourne’s west are making people ill, residents say, but the company has been slow to act.

Paint manufacturer Akzo Nobel produces a number of popular paint brands including Dulux. Picture: Chris Ratcliffe

Fumes caused by a massive, multinational paint manufacturer operating out of Melbourne’s west are making surrounding households sick, residents say.

Sunshine North’s Ami Luu lives west of Akzo Nobel’s industrial site and said noise from the company’s exhaust fans kept her awake at night.

A “sickly sweet” chemical odour also often wafted from the site and made her gag when she stepped outside, she said.

“It’s sweet, it’s thick, it’s heavy,” Ms Luu said.

“They’ve said they’ve done investigations … but we’re not convinced there’s no adverse health impacts long term.”

Ms Luu said other neighbours in Sunshine, Albion, Ardeer and Sunshine West reported feeling burning sensations in their throat, nose, eyes and on their tongue.

Others experienced headaches, blurry vision and mild confusion, which she said they believed were caused by the paint chemicals.

Issues regarding noise and odour from the site had been going on for years, she said, but the company had been slow to act.

Victoria’s Environmental Protection Authority had also done little to help despite being inundated with complaints, she said.

“We want to make at least a party accountable, and that’s the EPA because our council has no jurisdiction.”

More than 100 concerned locals have joined the Stop Akzo Nobel Pollution Action Group on Facebook.

There, residents regularly report noise and odour complaints emanating from the multi billion-dollar company’s site.

Google reviews for the company also slam it for its “bad air pollution”.

Akzo Nobel is the world's leading paint maker and operates a number of industrial sites across the globe. Picture: Robin Van Lonkhuijsen

“This corporation pollutes the air and environment in Sunshine North on a daily basis. The EPA has investigated numerous times and issued odour abatement notices but this company doesn’t care,” Sarah Haar wrote.

Trent Quirk wrote: “I have never experienced such a terrible, consuming smell in my life. You can’t walk in it, you can’t garden when it’s around, which is daily if the wind is blowing in your direction.”

Ms Luu said she didn’t want the company to move from the area, but she believed if it forked out cash to update its ageing machinery, the odour and noise problems would be resolved.

Akzo Nobel is not allowed to emit “offensive” odours beyond its boundaries, according to information on the EPA’s website.

It also confirmed odour emissions from the site could cause low mood, anxiety and stress as well as eye, nose, throat and lung irritation.

The EPA has issued Akzo Nobel with a number of remedial notices in recent months.

In December, the company was issued two notices to address odour and noise complaints.

An investigation in November found the company had breached its licence conditions in terms of the level of noise coming from the site.

The EPA also planned to issue the company with a remedial notice in January ordering it to build a new odour control system.

“In 2020, EPA received a large increase in odour and noise pollution reports from the Sunshine North community,” the EPA notes on its website.

“We’re working closely with Akzo Nobel and the community to protect human health and the environment in Sunshine North.”

Brimbank Council director of city development Kelvin Walsh said frustrated residents had contacted the council, but its hands were tied.

“Unfortunately as council is not the authority who is responsible for monitoring and enforcing odour and noise pollution from this site we are limited in what actions we are able to take,” he said.

In a statement sent to the Leader on Wednesday, Akzo Nobel said it was assessing odour emissions to determine what action could be taken.

It also said it had conducted testing to improve noise suppression and assess the need for quieter equipment.

“In addition to installing new equipment, we are undertaking rigorous monitoring of odour,” the statement read.

“We want to be a good neighbour, and we are committed to address local concerns and questions. We are planning for a session with the community in the coming weeks.”