Tara Murray
AkzoNobel hopes to have addressed the source of odours coming from it’s Sunshine North plant by the middle of October.
As reported by Star Weekly, the company has been ordered by the Environment Protection Authority Victoria to install an air motioning program after complaints from nearby residents about odours and noise.
During an online community forum last week, which included representatives from AkzoNobel , the EPA, Brimbank council and local residents, AzkoNobel site manager Peter Black said the company was planning to build an air treatment system to control odour and was hoping it would be running by mid-October.
“We want to regain trust with you in the community and improve the reputation that we have,” he said.
“We’re very much focused on making sure that we operate within the legal and community expectations.”
AkzoNobel is also working to suppress noise. Construction of acoustic enclosures and equipment upgrades are under way and are expected to be completed within months.
Mr Black said the company hoped to broaden its relationship with the community so people can get a better understanding of the site.
“We want to be judged by future actions and show we are serious about gaining trust.”
EPA senior environment protection officer Sam Sparks said the number of reports from residents had led to the action that is now occurring.
He said there was a spike in complaints about AkzoNobel in 2015 and then again in 2019 through to today.
Mr Sparks said despite six inspections in 2015, the specific source of odours couldn’t be identified so no action was taken.
AkzoNobel has been issued with two notices by the EPA as a result of reports over the past three years.
Mr Sparks said it was likely more notices would be issued soon, including one to force AkzoNobel to change some of its monitoring processes.
“There are a lot of pollution reports, we are listening,” Mr Sparks said.
“As the person who … reads through every single one of those pollution reports, I know that it is affecting a large section of the community.
“I’m a resident of the west, I understand these issues and that a lot are seismic. We really want proper long-term solution to the issue.
“We do not want AkzoNobel to be in this position again.”
While a number of community questions were answered during the webinar, several people, including Brimbank Cr Virginia Tachos, expressed frustration that it felt as though the forum was “controlled” and “questions were being moderated”.
