Ipswich stink: Public Health Inquiry to be held to look into health effects of odours from Swanbank Industrial Estate

Residents who have been kicking up a stick after more than a decade of dealing with foul “rotten egg” stenches from an industrial estate near Brisbane are finally set to find out if the stink is having negative effects on their health.

Ipswich residents are finally set to receive answers about the health impacts of waste odours plaguing their community after nearly a decade of enduring a foul “rotten egg” stench.

The government will today announce a Public Health Inquiry into the potential health effects of odours originating from waste processing operations at the Swanbank Industrial Estate.

Locals have described suffering from persistent coughing, rashes, hives, burning skin, eye irritation, and skin dryness, with some feeling like prisoners in their own homes due to the overwhelming odour.

Chaired by former chief health officer Dr John Gerrard, the inquiry will consider all health-related evidence from 2016 to the present.

It will include input from technical experts with backgrounds in legal, clinical, and environmental matters.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the government was upholding an election commitment for residents who were “ignored” by Labor.

Waste recycling company NuGrow has been fined for breaching commitments under its Environmental Authority.

“The residents of Ipswich have repeatedly raised concerns about odour issues and the health impacts, but they were ignored for years,” he said.

“This will give them an opportunity to detail their experiences to help inform the inquiry.”

The Palaszczuk government launched a $2.5m Odour Abatement Taskforce to crack down on offensive odours and other environmental concerns in Swanbank in 2018.

In 2022 Ipswich City Council urged the government to hold and inquiry but the idea was rejected, despite thousands of complaints.

Former chief health officer Dr John Gerrard. Picture: Liam Kidston

Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding told the Courier-Mail in 2023 that commercial waste operations were still having “a massively negative impact on the quality of life” of residents.

“It feels like they are making profits at the expense of our amenity and potentially our health,” she said.

“When these odours are at their worst, council receives reports from residents with chest pains and respiratory issues, nausea and vomiting, sore throats and eyes, and headaches.

“Residents are forced to live for months at a time without being able to open their windows and doors.”

NuGrow Ipswich Pty Ltd’s site at Swanbank. Picture: Liam Kidston

The Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, which regulates activities at the Swanbank Industrial Estate, has taken several actions against waste operators due to ongoing complaints.

In 2023, waste recycling company NuGrow was slapped with $45,000 worth of fines for breaches of environmental authority.

NuGrow, was also recently ordered by the Planning and Environment Court to overhaul its operations to neutralise odours and complete a permanent enclosed composting system within four years or face further legal action.

Cleanaway, operator of the New Chum facility, was fined over $600,000 last year for seven odour offences — the highest penalty ever issued in Queensland for such violations.

Cleanaway New Chum landfill site. Picture: Steve Pohlner

The six-month inquiry will hold public hearings and collect submissions from residents and stakeholders.

A final report is expected by mid-2025.

Originally published as Ipswich stink: Public Health Inquiry to be held to look into health effects of odours from Swanbank Industrial Estate