Calls are escalating for the Queensland government to launch a public health inquiry into the effects the waste industry is having on residents in Ipswich. It comes after one company was hit with a 600-thousand dollar fine for the odours its facility produced.
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00:00Tracey Butler spends most of her time inside because of how it smells outside.
00:08Last night it was complete raw sewage and yeah it made me gag.
00:15She lives at Redbank Plains near an industrial area with several dumps and composting sites.
00:22Sometimes it's rotten egg gas, other times it's ammonia, other chemicals, ethanol.
00:34For decades there have been complaints of odours coming from the area.
00:38Last month operator Clean Away was fined $600,000 for smells that emitted from its New Chum facility in 2022.
00:47It's the highest fine ever handed down in Queensland for an odour offence.
00:52I was very disappointed. The fine itself is minuscule.
00:56Former Greens candidate Danielle Mutton wants to see more action taken.
01:01A lot of these waste operators get to continue and keep their profits that they make while they're operating non-compliantly.
01:08So again it just builds this culture of thinking we don't have to comply with environmental authorities.
01:16Ipswich's mayor is calling on the state government for a health inquiry.
01:20We can't wait. It's been such a journey for so many residents for over a decade where they have rashes, nausea, headaches.
01:29It's just not right and the sooner we get this public health inquiry done the better.
01:34The former Labor government rejected the need for an inquiry but in the lead up to October's election the LNP promised it would hold one if successful.
01:43The new health minister, Tim Nicholls, did not respond to the ABC on when it would be held.
01:48For this to be occurring is embarrassing, it's shameful.