A WA parliamentary question addresses odour complaints from the Regional Resource Recovery Centre in Canning Vale. The government acknowledges the issue and outlines actions being taken to mitigate the problem, including potential enforcement action.

AnsweredQoN 1121Legislative Council
Asked
22 November 2006
Portfolio
Environment

QuestionView source ↗

REGIONAL RESOURCE RECOVERY CENTRE
(1) How many complaints has the government received about odours emanating from the Regional Resource Recovery Centre in Canning Vale since 13 November 2006? (2) Is it true that a departmental officer has attended the site in response to residents’ complaints on numerous occasions over recent months? (3) Has the officer confirmed that there is an odour problem of such a nature as to cause serious discomfort or inconvenience? (4) What is the government doing about it? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice of this question. On behalf of the Minister for the Environment, I provide the following response - (1) The Department of Environment and Conservation has received 13 complaints via e-mail and telephone since 13 November 2006. (2) Yes. (3) Yes. Odours from the plant have been confirmed to be unreasonable in the past. Since the completion of work on the biofilters in October 2006, odours of such a nature as to cause serious discomfort have not been detected in residential areas. However, an officer from DEC detected odours that could be described as an inconvenience in the residential part of Leeming at 6.15 am on Tuesday, 21 November. (4) DEC requires the Regional Resource Recovery Centre to complete upgrades to the air collection system designed to minimise the escape of odours from the aeration shed. DEC is considering taking enforcement action under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. DEC will continue to investigate complaints, and if the odours are confirmed to be unreasonable, DEC will require further action by the South Metropolitan Regional Council, which operates the centre.
(2) Is it true that a departmental officer has attended the site in response to residents’ complaints on numerous occasions over recent months? (3) Has the officer confirmed that there is an odour problem of such a nature as to cause serious discomfort or inconvenience? (4) What is the government doing about it? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. On behalf of the Minister for the Environment, I provide the following response - (1) The Department of Environment and Conservation has received 13 complaints via e-mail and telephone since 13 November 2006. (2) Yes. (3) Yes. Odours from the plant have been confirmed to be unreasonable in the past. Since the completion of work on the biofilters in October 2006, odours of such a nature as to cause serious discomfort have not been detected in residential areas. However, an officer from DEC detected odours that could be described as an inconvenience in the residential part of Leeming at 6.15 am on Tuesday, 21 November. (4) DEC requires the Regional Resource Recovery Centre to complete upgrades to the air collection system designed to minimise the escape of odours from the aeration shed. DEC is considering taking enforcement action under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. DEC will continue to investigate complaints, and if the odours are confirmed to be unreasonable, DEC will require further action by the South Metropolitan Regional Council, which operates the centre.
(3) Has the officer confirmed that there is an odour problem of such a nature as to cause serious discomfort or inconvenience? (4) What is the government doing about it? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. On behalf of the Minister for the Environment, I provide the following response - (1) The Department of Environment and Conservation has received 13 complaints via e-mail and telephone since 13 November 2006. (2) Yes. (3) Yes. Odours from the plant have been confirmed to be unreasonable in the past. Since the completion of work on the biofilters in October 2006, odours of such a nature as to cause serious discomfort have not been detected in residential areas. However, an officer from DEC detected odours that could be described as an inconvenience in the residential part of Leeming at 6.15 am on Tuesday, 21 November. (4) DEC requires the Regional Resource Recovery Centre to complete upgrades to the air collection system designed to minimise the escape of odours from the aeration shed. DEC is considering taking enforcement action under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. DEC will continue to investigate complaints, and if the odours are confirmed to be unreasonable, DEC will require further action by the South Metropolitan Regional Council, which operates the centre.
(4) What is the government doing about it? Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. On behalf of the Minister for the Environment, I provide the following response - (1) The Department of Environment and Conservation has received 13 complaints via e-mail and telephone since 13 November 2006. (2) Yes. (3) Yes. Odours from the plant have been confirmed to be unreasonable in the past. Since the completion of work on the biofilters in October 2006, odours of such a nature as to cause serious discomfort have not been detected in residential areas. However, an officer from DEC detected odours that could be described as an inconvenience in the residential part of Leeming at 6.15 am on Tuesday, 21 November. (4) DEC requires the Regional Resource Recovery Centre to complete upgrades to the air collection system designed to minimise the escape of odours from the aeration shed. DEC is considering taking enforcement action under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. DEC will continue to investigate complaints, and if the odours are confirmed to be unreasonable, DEC will require further action by the South Metropolitan Regional Council, which operates the centre.
Hon LJILJANNA RAVLICH replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question. On behalf of the Minister for the Environment, I provide the following response - (1) The Department of Environment and Conservation has received 13 complaints via e-mail and telephone since 13 November 2006. (2) Yes. (3) Yes. Odours from the plant have been confirmed to be unreasonable in the past. Since the completion of work on the biofilters in October 2006, odours of such a nature as to cause serious discomfort have not been detected in residential areas. However, an officer from DEC detected odours that could be described as an inconvenience in the residential part of Leeming at 6.15 am on Tuesday, 21 November. (4) DEC requires the Regional Resource Recovery Centre to complete upgrades to the air collection system designed to minimise the escape of odours from the aeration shed. DEC is considering taking enforcement action under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. DEC will continue to investigate complaints, and if the odours are confirmed to be unreasonable, DEC will require further action by the South Metropolitan Regional Council, which operates the centre.
I thank the member for some notice of this question. On behalf of the Minister for the Environment, I provide the following response - (1) The Department of Environment and Conservation has received 13 complaints via e-mail and telephone since 13 November 2006. (2) Yes. (3) Yes. Odours from the plant have been confirmed to be unreasonable in the past. Since the completion of work on the biofilters in October 2006, odours of such a nature as to cause serious discomfort have not been detected in residential areas. However, an officer from DEC detected odours that could be described as an inconvenience in the residential part of Leeming at 6.15 am on Tuesday, 21 November. (4) DEC requires the Regional Resource Recovery Centre to complete upgrades to the air collection system designed to minimise the escape of odours from the aeration shed. DEC is considering taking enforcement action under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. DEC will continue to investigate complaints, and if the odours are confirmed to be unreasonable, DEC will require further action by the South Metropolitan Regional Council, which operates the centre.
(1) The Department of Environment and Conservation has received 13 complaints via e-mail and telephone since 13 November 2006. (2) Yes. (3) Yes. Odours from the plant have been confirmed to be unreasonable in the past. Since the completion of work on the biofilters in October 2006, odours of such a nature as to cause serious discomfort have not been detected in residential areas. However, an officer from DEC detected odours that could be described as an inconvenience in the residential part of Leeming at 6.15 am on Tuesday, 21 November. (4) DEC requires the Regional Resource Recovery Centre to complete upgrades to the air collection system designed to minimise the escape of odours from the aeration shed. DEC is considering taking enforcement action under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. DEC will continue to investigate complaints, and if the odours are confirmed to be unreasonable, DEC will require further action by the South Metropolitan Regional Council, which operates the centre.
(2) Yes. (3) Yes. Odours from the plant have been confirmed to be unreasonable in the past. Since the completion of work on the biofilters in October 2006, odours of such a nature as to cause serious discomfort have not been detected in residential areas. However, an officer from DEC detected odours that could be described as an inconvenience in the residential part of Leeming at 6.15 am on Tuesday, 21 November. (4) DEC requires the Regional Resource Recovery Centre to complete upgrades to the air collection system designed to minimise the escape of odours from the aeration shed. DEC is considering taking enforcement action under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. DEC will continue to investigate complaints, and if the odours are confirmed to be unreasonable, DEC will require further action by the South Metropolitan Regional Council, which operates the centre.
(3) Yes. Odours from the plant have been confirmed to be unreasonable in the past. Since the completion of work on the biofilters in October 2006, odours of such a nature as to cause serious discomfort have not been detected in residential areas. However, an officer from DEC detected odours that could be described as an inconvenience in the residential part of Leeming at 6.15 am on Tuesday, 21 November. (4) DEC requires the Regional Resource Recovery Centre to complete upgrades to the air collection system designed to minimise the escape of odours from the aeration shed. DEC is considering taking enforcement action under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. DEC will continue to investigate complaints, and if the odours are confirmed to be unreasonable, DEC will require further action by the South Metropolitan Regional Council, which operates the centre.
(4) DEC requires the Regional Resource Recovery Centre to complete upgrades to the air collection system designed to minimise the escape of odours from the aeration shed. DEC is considering taking enforcement action under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. DEC will continue to investigate complaints, and if the odours are confirmed to be unreasonable, DEC will require further action by the South Metropolitan Regional Council, which operates the centre.

Explore WA Government Data

Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.

Explore more