Sweet fix for odorous site

By Melissa Meehan
IT’S the stink that’s stuck, but the Hallam Landfill will not face court action over odour complaints from the site.
The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that despite several complaints that odour travelled beyond SITA Australia’s Hallam Road landfill boundary in breach of its licence, it will not take legal action against the owners.
Instead the EPA and SITA negotiated an Enforceable Undertaking with residents – what they describe as a constructive alternative to prosecution.
A spokesperson for the EPA said a restorative justice conference was held last Thursday and gave community representatives a chance to have their say.
“What EPA has done is pursued the path offering the strongest, most relevant benefits quickly and directly to the community,” she said.
“This is the first time in Australia that this process has been used in an environmental stage.”
While no outcome has yet been determined, the EPA will announce the decision in due course.
The Enforceable Undertaking could include that SITA must fix the problem that led to the breach, must innovate to create improvements in environmental performance, and deliver benefits to the local environment and community.