Tuesday, 31 March 2026

 Sarah CONNOLLY (Laverton) (19:22): (1618) My adjournment is for the Minister for Environment, and the action I seek is that the minister outline what steps are being taken to ensure the ongoing odour investigation in Sunshine delivers timely and enforceable outcomes for the many affected residents. As the minister knows, we have a bit of a smelly problem in Sunshine at the moment, with odours from industrial meat-processing facilities wafting north into Sunshine and other surrounding suburbs. I want to acknowledge the many residents who have written to and called my office over the past few months and who have really wanted to express how bad this smell is.

I want to thank and acknowledge the work of the EPA, who, it has to be said, have been proactive in allocating resources to a dedicated investigation of this issue since before the start of the year. Since the start of January this year the EPA has conducted more than 45 inspections across multiple sites in Laverton North, Sunshine West and Brooklyn in my electorate. They have issued around 11 compliance notices to businesses including abattoirs, renderers and meat-processing plants in and around this area, who are, by and large, the culprits for these odours.

Everyone deserves to be able to live happy, healthy lives free from odours or pollution in the air, and that is exactly what we are trying to achieve here. It is a complex task that the EPA have had in tracking these odours. While this demonstrates strong regulatory activity, the key issue for residents is not just investigation, it is actually resolution. Given the complexity of identifying odour sources and the reliance on both officer assessment and community reporting, what assurances can the minister provide that enforcement action will escalate when noncompliance persists, agencies are working in a coordinated way to reduce ongoing impacts, residents are being informed and updated on notices and residents will see tangible improvements in air quality in the near term? I am really grateful for this work, but of course there is more to do. Ultimately communities deserve confidence that this work will lead to clear outcomes and not just ongoing investigations.