Something stinks

By Jade Lawton
PAKENHAM’S recurring stink has again raised the ire of locals.
Pakenham resident Lauris De Serre said the stench was so strong two weeks ago that it burned her throat.
“We’ve been here for over four years now and every now and then we get these smells,” she said.
“It was so bad we had to shut all the windows and doors and it actually started to make my throat burn.”
Mrs De Serre said the smell reminded her of chemicals and gas and was ‘really quite potent.’
“Someone is letting things out overnight…. whoever or whatever is doing it, I don’t think it’s right,” she said.
Pakenham Business Group vice-president Michael Porter complained to the council yesterday (Wednesday) morning.
“I’ve complained to the council at least a dozen times…to the shire’s credit, they are investigating it. But it’s an ongoing issue,” he said.
“We as Pakenham residents and business people shouldn’t have to put up with it. If anyone’s got complaints, please call the council number.”
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) last year told the News it had received ‘a couple’ of complaints about a stench originating from Drovers Place – the home of the Victorian Livestock Exchange and Pakenham Waste and Transfer Station. At the time, the EPA was unable to confirm the source of the odour, but encouraged people to contact them if the situation worsened.
Cardinia Shire Council spokesman Paul Dunlop said the council had been contacted about smells in the Pakenham area, but did not confirm exactly how many complaints the council had received.
“Council is continuing to investigate the origin of reported odours and assess whether the smell is a nuisance or an issue that needs to be addressed through planning regulations,” he said.
Mr Dunlop said residents should contact the council when the smell was particularly bad with details on the odour type, strength and time of day so that council officers could follow their nose to the source of the stink.
Contact Cardinia Shire Council on 1300 787 624.