By Ethan Benedicto
Local residents have criticised the Environmental Protection Authority’s settlement of $200,000 with the operators of a controversial landfill in Cranbourne.
The EPA announced on Friday 2 August that Stevenson Brothers Industries Landfill Pty Ltd would pay $200,000 for a project to improve the local environment and ensure company directors and key staff undergo further training.
The EPA commenced proceedings in the Supreme Court against SBI and its directors on 4 August 2023, which the EPA then stated that if proven could result in penalties exceeding $1.8 million for SBI and $360,000 for directors per allegation.
Members of the 2000-strong Facebook group called ‘Residents affected by SBI Inert Quarry Cranbourne’ were underwhelmed by the outcome.
A spokesperson from the Facebook group said that after nearly two and a half years “of suffering the environmental crime inflicted upon us, many residents have seen no option but to leave the area”.
“Feeling forced from their homes to get clean air and alleviating suspected health impacts, therefore we feel the penalty is not proportional,” they said.
They also added that the members of the group and residents were disappointed by the EPA’s settlement of $200,000, where they were previously told that figures of fines to SBI could reach $2,520,000.
“This year the EPA has caught them out twice for not capping the waste at the end of the day,” which is a mandatory licence condition, the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said it had been two years of scrutiny.
The EPA has issued improvement notices, while also receiving reports from residents, and the City of Casey issued a Planning Contravention Notice to SBI in 2022.
“Not to mention that Casey Council are still considering allowing SBI further expansion for landfill, [which] leaves us scratching our heads with no end in sight,” they said.
The City of Casey has been contacted for comment but stated that the matter is now in the hands of the EPA.
For background, items in the five claims mentioned in the 4 August 2023 release include the requirements of operating its licence and also their failure to meet the General Environment Duty on their Ballarto Road landfill in Cranbourne.
According to the same release, this was due to the prolonged impacts of odour from the landfill on local and neighbouring residents in Botanic Ridge.
In a letter to residents, EPA South Metropolitan regional manager Viranga Abeywickrema said that odour reports have fallen after the EPA received 127 reports in May 2024; after that reports dropped to 27 in June, and spiked to 38 in July, which included 28 reports during the SBI fire at 4 July.
“Our officers continue to monitor odour around the landfill, visiting several areas of Cranbourne,” Abeywickrema said.
On 25 July the EPA received more information from SBI regarding their dust monitoring, a factor that they are currently assessing.
The SBI has also applied for the development licence applications to install and commission new odour control equipment on the site of the landfill, something that Abeywickrema said the EPA has provided a draft licence for and considering feedback.
“SBI raised several issues we need to resolve before we can issue the amended development licence.
“Once the licence is issued, SBI will need to satisfy licence conditions before starting trials of the odour control equipment.
“They will need to show the equipment is working as designed and is reducing off-site odour impacts,” Abeywickrema said.
In the EPA media release on 2 August, Abeywickrema said that orders for SBI to carry out a project “for the restoration or enhancement of the environment” in a public place or for the public benefit was an excellent outcome for the local community.
“A substantial amount of money will now go into improving the local environment, which will have a positive impact on our local community,” Abeywickrema said then.
The Facebook residents group’s spokesperson added that the community is feeling “let down” with the action the EPA has taken, and that “nothing will change”.
“You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink, but EPA insisting on training to assist with this issue, regardless of all done to date, you can see where the community are feeling let down.”
The spokesperson pointed out the EPA settled the case for less than 10 per cent of what they could have received.
“We do expect that there will be consultation with the community who have experienced the stench of the SBI operations, with regard to what local environmental or local project receives the $200,000, but we won’t hold our breath on that,” they said.
A Botanic Ridge resident of nine years and chair of Settlers Run Owners Corporation, Norman Ridley, stated in an email to Star News early in July that there has been limited or no impact from the landfill.
He described the odour as “transient”, elaborating further that it is “on and off with significant periods with no odour or no recognised odour”.
Ridley emphasised that the community, following an Owners Survey of roughly 200 participants, noted that there has been minimal impact on their lives when speaking on the odour.
As a representative of the Settlers Run Golf and Country Club, and the SBI Community Consultative Committee since August 2022, he added that “very rarely does anyone express major concerns”.
Moving forward, Abeywickrema said that the EPA is reviewing additional information from SBI as part of the development licence exemption application; specifically for waste and resource recovery activities on-site where the waste is accepted and processed for recycling.
They have also welcomed residents to continue reporting pollution and put through any questions or concerns to the EPA.
