By Eleanor Wilson
An overwhelming odour permeating from the Hallam Road Landfill in Hampton Park continues to plague locals, with some residents claiming the air pollutant is affecting their health.
Narre Warren South’s Lindsay Bartlett said a sewage-like odour, which he believes originated from the tip, became so strong a few weeks ago that it caused him to suffer from an asthma attack.
“I’ve got asthma and emphysema and [I] suffered greatly from the fumes of the methane gas and it actually filled our houses, it’s never been that bad before,” Mr Bartlett said.
“It was right throughout the house, you couldn’t run from [the smell], apart from leaving the whole neighbourhood, but how far does it go?”
Fellow neighbour John Tomkins said the odour from the landfill has become progressively worse over the years.
“When we first moved in here about 28 years ago we never had any problems, but gradually it started getting a little bit worse and a little bit worse,” Mr Tomkins said.
“Three weeks ago, as I said, you couldn’t breathe here. It was just toxic…I had to hold my breath.”
Mr Tomkins said he awoke in the middle of the night three weeks ago with a strong headache, which he believes came as a result of the strong smell.
“It was very out of the ordinary, I never get a headache that wakes me up like that,“ he said.
The landfill at 270-310 Hallam Road in Hampton Park is one of Victoria’s largest landfills, accepting household waste and solid inert waste from multiple Melbourne councils.
EPA South Metro regional manager Bianca Sigismundi said the authority is “very aware” of recent odour issues caused by the Veolia Hallam Road landfill and carried an onsite odour assessment earlier in June.
“EPA officers noted a landfill cell was nearing its capacity and generating elevated odour levels that should reduce quickly as the cell is filled and covered,” she said.
“While odour does not directly cause health issues, it can cause emotional and mental stress which is why EPA has been actively engaged with the site and the local community through the Community Reference Group over the long term enforcing licence standards and requiring the operator to proactively take measures to reduce odour escaping the site.”
The Hallam Road landfill is no stranger to criticism from residents and authorities.
In February 2020, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) fined Suez Recycling and Recovery $8000 for breaching a licence condition for failing to prevent offsite odours from the tip.
Suez Recycling and Recovery has since installed additional infrastructure to better manage landfill gas.
Suez Recycling and Recovery merged with Veolia earlier this year, which said it operates to strict environmental guidelines set and monitored by EPA.
“We take a proactive approach to the management of odour, investing extensively in improvements, such as gas (odour) extraction infrastructure, that go well beyond industry best practice,” said a Veolia spokesperson.
“In response to recent wet weather conditions, we implemented additional extraction technology to build on our existing capability.”
But Mr Bartlett says he cannot understand why more isn’t being done to reduce the odour seeping from the site.
“Something needs to be done…Narre Warren South smells like a sewer all the time,” Mr Bartlett said.
“I can’t understand why nothing is being done to stop it…they need to shut the tip down.”
If you notice a strong odour, in the area, please report it to EPA as soon as possible by calling 1300 372 842.
