A company contracted to spread an organic, chicken manure‑based fertiliser on several farms in the Geelong area sparked significant community concern after a foul odour impacted nearby homes over a four‑day period starting late last week.
EPA Victoria received more than 700 reports from community members about a sickening smell that left many people feeling nauseated and uncomfortable.
Initially, many residents believed the source may have been an industrial site involving a possible chemical release. "EPA was confident the source was more likely associated with farming activity, based on the profile of the odour," said EPA South West Regional Manager Martha-Rose Loughnane.
A team of EPA officers conducted multiple inspections to rule out industrial sources and narrow the possible cause to farming activities.
"What we found was that a contractor had been engaged to spread the fertiliser on several farms across the Surf Coast and Geelong peri‑urban areas.
"That meant we received reports from multiple locations describing the same odour," Ms Loughnane said.
"Weather conditions at the time meant the odour did not dissipate as quickly as it normally would have if there had been more moisture or wind. As a result, the smell lingered for longer and may have seemed more oppressive than during similar activities at other times."
On Monday 16 February, EPA officers tracked the contractor and explained how the activity was impacting the community. Rather than stopping the spreading and leaving the fertiliser in storage - which may have extended the duration of the odour - the contractor completed the final field that afternoon. EPA has confirmed there will be no further spreading of fertiliser.
"The odour will already have started to dissipate, and our advice to residents is to open windows and doors where possible to allow fresh air to circulate through their homes," Ms Loughnane said.
"We're continuing enquiries with the contractor to determine whether any further EPA action is required. We will also be engaging with Agriculture Victoria and other relevant bodies to explore whether future activities of this nature could be supported by more proactive communication with the community.
"We will also be contacting members of the farming sector to remind them of best practice when it comes to the use and storage of on‑farm fertilisers.
"And we want to thank every community member who took the time to provide detailed information to EPA Victoria. The community, as we always say, is our best eyes and ears, so calling in to report pollution on 1300 372 842 or through our EPA portal at www.epa.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window) is really important."
