The Environment Protection Authority has begun twice-monthly inspections for offensive odours at the Ravenhall landfill site.
The move follows 225 odour checks in Caroline Springs, Deer Park and Derrimut between February and April that revealed odours were “generally weak”.
Checks were conducted when prevailing winds were likely to push odours from the tip towards residential areas, the EPA says. In southerly winds, eight per cent of checks around Caroline Springs detected odour. In westerly winds, 15 per cent of checks detected odour in Deer Park and Derrimut.
Tip owner Transpacific was issued with an EPA notice in June to stop the spread of dirt and mud on to public roads.
The company will spend $750,000 on a state-of-the-art wheel wash.
Transpacific Victorian regional manager Clete Elms said the company had been “working around the clock” to reduce the impact of odours since taking over the landfill in March.
“We have made significant operational improvements to reduce the likelihood of odour,” he said.
The installation of 57 new gas wells, with another 40 to come, will provide for the extracting of landfill gas, which is then fed back into the power grid.
“Currently, the Melbourne Regional Landfill produces enough power to supply more than 4000 homes,” he said.
“At Ravenhall we are using a real-time GPS system on our frontline operational equipment to enable us to further reduce odour potential.”
He said site staff inspected tip boundaries twice daily for litter or odour. “We also employ litter pickers, who roam the site during the day and collect any stray litter,” he said.
Transpacific said an application for a tip extension was still set for later this year.
