Fuming over compost

By Dion Teasdale
NEIGHBOURS kicking up a stink over foul smells coming from a Coldstream compost farm may shortly breathe easier.
The site is on the nose as far as the council is concerned and could be shut down.
Shire of Yarra Ranges councillors last week put the managers of the farm on notice, threatening to close the operation unless they dealt with the smelly problem.
Shire officers will now audit the compost facility which is operated by Leastwaste under an approval agreement with the Environment Protection Authority (EPA).
The council voted last Tuesday, 26 September, to audit the facility and apply for a planning permit enforcement order from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
Councillors Tim Heenan and Jeanette McRae initiated the action following a meeting with concerned residents, the EPA, Leastwaste and senior shire staff.
Cr McRae said it was critical for the operators to address residents’ concerns and abide by the stringent conditions of the planning permit.
“If the facility is unable to comply with the conditions of the planning permit to the satisfaction of the council, we will look at the option of cancelling the permit and closing the facility down,” she said.
Graeme Stewart, Leastwaste executive officer, said he was not surprised by the shire’s response to on-going complaints from neighbours about the odours.
“Obviously, this is not what we would desire but it is within the council’s right to take this action,” he said.
He said Leastwaste was continuing to work with officers from the EPA to address concerns. “Some of the things we are doing to address odours take a while to put in place,” he said.
“We are changing the recipe of what is going in to the compost and feel nearby residents understand that we were doing our best to fix these issues.”
Mr Stewart said shutting the compost farm would be an ‘incredible action’.
“We are working very hard to overcome problems and are confident that we can get this right and that the facility won’t be shut down,” he said.