What’s happening at Thomas Foods International’s old Murray Bridge site?
Residents are sick of smells from the Lagoon Road facility, but may have to wait years for a solution – unless the Environment Protection Authority intervenes.
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The smell is what bothers Rob and Stephanie Randell the most.
The couple live at Northern Heights, a stone’s throw from what used to be the heart of a meat processing empire: Thomas Foods International’s old Murray Bridge abattoir.
Six and a half years ago, the facility was gutted by fire, and the company has since opened a new one further out of town.
But the Randells say the stench of offal and waste remains a problem in their neighbourhood.
“You just can’t be outside,” Mrs Randell said.
“A neighbour … came back from work and had to run from the car to the house, it was unbearable.”
Her husband described it as “just appalling”, enough to stop them from opening the windows on warm days.
Another neighbour, Robert Hutchinson, said the smell was a problem roughly every second day.
“It’s absolutely disgusting,” he said.
“I think Murray Bridge has outgrown that stink.”
The Randells and several other local residents have been filling out odour diaries for the Environment Protection Authority, monitoring the types of smells coming from the plant and their frequency.
Ms Randell urged others to do the same by downloading one from the EPA website, or at the link below.
“The more people fill out a diary, the more likely they are to either make (TFI) shift faster or fix what needs to be fixed,” Ms Randell said.
The smell wasn’t the only problem, though.
Other residents were bothered by noises or lights at all hours, they said.
They even alleged that waste had been seen spilling from the plant into a nearby wetland.
Ultimately they hoped that public pressure would compel the company to close down the Lagoon Road site entirely, and shift any remaining facilities and staff out to the new plant at Pallamana.
Mr Hutchinson suggested that should have happened 20 years ago.
“I’ve got nothing against the Thomases – they provide a lot of employment,” Mr Randell said.
“But, as they say on their website, they’ve got a corporate responsibility to be a good citizen in town.
“With the town changing and diversifying, the council is pushing it as a tourist destination, but even when you go up to the Bridgeport (Hotel) you can still smell it sometimes.”
Murray Bridge News put the question to Thomas Foods International: what were its plans for the Lagoon Road site?
Facility will stay open ‘for the forseeable future’ – if the EPA lets it
A spokesperson told Murray Bridge News that Thomas Foods International had no plans to close the facility in the near future.
“Thomas Foods International conducts important rendering and skin processing operations at its Lagoon Road, Murray Bridge site,” the spokesperson said.
“These services, which were in place prior to the Murray Bridge plant fire, have and will continue to provide vital operational and commercial support for the group’s processing facilities across South Australia and Victoria.
“Our plans are to continue to operate the site for the foreseeable future.”
The terms of an EPA licence will permit the company to keep its Lagoon Road operations going at least June 30, 2028.
Those operations are allowed to include meat processing, rendering or fat extraction, and the burning of any fuel that is not coal or wood.
But to stay open, TFI must meet a list of conditions around things like odour, wastewater discharge, waste disposal and monitoring.
If it fails to do so, the EPA may vary or cancel the licence.
Without the licence, TFI would not be permitted to keep operating at the site.
EPA investigates alleged waste spillage
In a statement to Murray Bridge News, the Environment Protection Authority said it was carrying out “regular and extensive” monitoring of odour concerns in the community.
“The EPA have also been engaging with TFI on this issue, including regular meetings, extensive field monitoring campaigns and increased site inspection activity,” a spokesperson said.
“The EPA will continue to liaise with TFI on this issue and to ensure compliance with its licence conditions.”
But the smell wasn’t the only problem the EPA had its eye on.
The agency was also investigating allegations that waste from the plant had spilled into wetlands adjacent to the facility, it said.
It encouraged anyone with further information to get in touch.
“As this is the subject of a current investigation, the EPA is unable to provide further comment at this stage,” the spokesperson said.
For its part, Thomas Foods International said it would continue to work with local stakeholders and authorities to make sure all operational and regulatory requirements for the site were met.
- Download an odour diary: www.epa.sa.gov.au.
- Contact the Environment Protection Authority: Call 8204 2004 or email yourepa@sa.gov.au.
- Read more: Thomas Foods International’s new Murray Bridge abattoir is finished
