Still stinking

By Melissa Meehan
IT’S the stench that’s stuck.
But Pakenham might lose its “on the nose” title – if the council has anything to do with it.
The Cardinia Shire Council yesterday confirmed that they, along with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), were in discussions with Transpacific Waste Management about the odour that has been wafting around Pakenham for some time.
Council spokesman Paul Dunlop said both the council and EPA had worked together in implementing actions involving a variety of conditions, such as the moisture of the content and height of compost.
This is good news for residents, who have long complained about the smell wafting through the town regularly. It has been a major issue for the town for the past 18 months.
Despite the news, the town was blanketed in the stench on Wednesday morning, with a number of residents calling the paper to complain.
Pakenham resident and Pakenham Business Group vice-president Michael Porter said he was pleased something was being done to address the problem after many calls to the council and the EPA.
“It’s good to know that the council is doing something about it,” Mr Porter said.
“It also confirms my thoughts about where the smell was coming from.
“Every business deserves to run their business but we deserve to have a smell-free Pakenham.”
His sentiment was echoed by fellow residents, who said they were relieved to hear the news.
Kathe Thompson said she smelt the stink in Lakeside on Tuesday, somewhere she did not normally smell it.
“It is terrible,” she said.
Meagan Willmott – Gedded said it was about time something was done.
“I’m so relieved, I’m so over smelling it,” she said.
It is believed the matter may go to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) at a date yet to be confirmed.
Both VCAT and the EPA were unable to provide comment by the time the News went to print.