Does Thomas Foods International’s Murray Bridge facility smell?
The meat processing company is surveying Murray Bridge residents regarding its Northern Heights facility.
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Thomas Foods International is surveying Murray Bridge locals as it continues to improve the environmental performance of its Northern Heights facility.
Operations at the Lagoon Road site have actually increased since the 2018 fire which destroyed part of the former abattoir, and it is licensed to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The survey comes eight months after neighbours approached Murray Bridge News to voice their frustration about continuous bad odours wafting through the area.
Thomas Foods went on to undertake maintenance and site improvements last year, and the company is planning further improvements.
Thomas Foods has pledged to consider the response from the community in conducting its investigations.
The five-minute survey gives residents a chance to share their experiences and priorities.
TFI’s proposed improvements include enhancing air quality, improving wastewater and stormwater management, with a focus on fugitive odour.
While taking steps to understand expectations of the Murray Bridge community, TFI said they would ensure they remained compliant with all environmental regulatory requirements.
Updates to the community will be shared following the consultation process.
- Take the TFI survey: www.surveymonkey.com.
Environmental licence was updated after Murray Bridge News story
In July 2024, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) proposed, and TFI consented to, updated conditions for the company’s Northern Heights licence.
The updated conditions required:
- A comprehensive, whole-of-site assessment by a qualified air quality professional, considering the impact of the plant’s operations and proposing options for reducing odour impacts
- An odour assessment report to the EPA
- Development and implementation of an environment improvement program to implement the preferred odour mitigation options
Prior to the fire, operations at the Northern Heights facility included slaughtering, product packaging and storage, rendering of by-products, skin-salting, and the reuse of wastewater for irrigation.
Currently only the rendering plant, skin sheds and wastewater treatment plant are operational, with the rendering and blood cooking facility processing by-products from TFI’s new Murray Bridge abattoir.
Locals are still able to report odour to the EPA, in particular, tones and intensity, time, duration, impacts to amenity, and weather conditions.
- Lodge an odour report: Visit www.epa.sa.gov.au.
