A petition of more than 4700 names of residents opposing Boral’s plans to expand its Ravenhall landfill site was tabled in State Parliament last Tuesday.
Western Metropolitan Labor MP Cesar Melhem, who lives in Caroline Springs, said community interest must come first.
“This issue is not only about the proposed expansion,” he said. ‘‘It’s also about the immediate odour pollution problem plaguing the lives of locals. It’s about the Environment Protection Authority doing its job.”
Western Metropolitan Greens MP Colleen Hartland also supported the petition.
“My personal objection was in addition to more than 4000 already received by Melton City Council,” she told Parliament.
“The proposed Boral expansion has potential to impact on surrounding neighbourhoods Deer Park, Caroline Springs, Truganina and, potentially, farther afield.”
The EPA last week urged Boral to fix the cause of existing odours after a big rise in reports to its pollution hotline.
Calls nominated Boral and Pinegro Composting in Ravenhall as the source of the odour, although the EPA said it had been unable to track an increase in smells.
“Pinpointing odours can be difficult, including tracking the exact source, because odours are generally temporary and subjective from person to person,” an EPA spokesman said.
“For EPA to be able to take action against a business, the community needs to report strong and persistent odours at the time they are detected.
“Since September 2013, EPA has conducted 25 inspections in the Deer Park and Ravenhall area, including four compliance inspections of the Boral landfill, three compliance inspections of Pinegro Composting, two odour investigations and nine odour surveillance operations.
“As a result, EPA required both the landfill and the composter to fix the cause of the identified odours.”
Further surveillance and compliance inspections are planned.
Boral previously said it was improving its gas extraction systems and had no immediate plans to increase the amount of waste it received.
