Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I commence my remarks in relation to my chosen subject, I would like to compliment Senator Brockman for the contribution he's just made. It is common sense that we should not be taxing unrealised capital gains in people's super accounts. It is absolutely absurd that the government has introduced such a policy, and I really compliment Senator Brockman on his advocacy in that regard.

Once again this evening I stand up for the residents of Ipswich in relation to the burden which they are suffering under in relation to odours being generated by waste disposal operations in their region. On 17 September 2023 I attended a community meeting called by Stop the Stink. At that meeting members of the community had the opportunity in front of members of local government and state government—I was the only federal representative there—to voice their concerns with the ongoing odour issues they're facing as a result of the Labor state government's inability to apply the law effectively with respect to the operations of waste management companies in that area. Over the last five years there have been 26,000 odour complaints made by the people in Ipswich with respect to the operations of waste management companies, and Ipswich City Council has called for a public health inquiry.

All of the councillors and the mayor of Ipswich City Council called upon the state government to implement a public health inquiry as requested by the residents of Ipswich. What has the Labor state government done? Refused to conduct the inquiry. I congratulate the Ipswich City Council, Mayor Teresa Harding and all the councillors for their advocacy for the people of Ipswich in this regard. I note their media release of 30 October 2023 where they indicated, firstly, that they have instituted legal action against a private waste operator called NuGrow in the greater Ipswich region. In their media relation of 30 October 2023 they said:

This action was lodged with Planning and Environment Court on 23 October as an Originating Application and is in addition to the current appeal NuGrow has lodged against Council for refusing its minor change development application.

The application alleges that NuGrow has committed planning offences relating to landfill activity, expanded composting activity, unenclosed composting and unapproved building work at their Swanbank facility.

That's the first limb of the media release. The second limb is that council has unanimously agreed to lobby the state Labor government to enforce the enclosed composting of organic waste. That's the second limb, to make sure that residents wherever they live in Queensland don't have to put up with the odour issues the people of Ipswich have had to put up with over the last too many years.

I commend Ipswich City Council in relation to the action they have taken. They should not have had to spend $8 million of Ipswich ratepayers' money taking enforcement action—legal action—in relation to the operations of these waste management companies. They've had to spend $8 million of ratepayers' money to protect the interests of Ipswich residents, and it's absolutely outrageous that Ipswich City Council has had to spend that money. What is also outrageous is the impact which the operations of these waste management companies is having on the people of Ipswich. I want to give two examples of this. After I attended the Stop the Stink community meeting on 17 September, I took the opportunity to organise a meeting with two residents who were particularly impacted by the activities and the odour. The first is a resident by the name of Michelle, and I'll quote what Michelle said. 'I moved from Melbourne to Queensland in December 2021. A few weeks later I started developing strange rashes, hives and dermatitis, styes in my eyes. No steroid creams or antihistamines would keep it under control, and it continued to become worse until I was covered, trying to cope with burning skin every. I also can't sweat, or I will break out in hives'. Since January 2023 Michelle has been seeing a dermatologist. She's had skin biopsies, skin scrapings, patch testing and blood tests.

She now receives two Xolair injections once every month, and every fortnight she receives another Dupixent injection. She also takes medication, including four Telfast 180 every day. This is a medication usually prescribed at one every 24 hours. This is what Michelle says in relation to the impact upon her: 'I would just really like to live a normal life again without worrying about toxic odours interfering with my health and family, dermatitis, hives, not being able to go outside and the anxiety.' You don't deserve that, Michelle. You don't deserve to have to put up with that. No-one in my state of Queensland deserves to have to put up with that.

The second resident I met was a wonderful lady called Tracey. Tracey sends me a copy of her complaints to the pollution hotline with respect to odour. She copies me in. I thought I'd bring in the complaints which she's copied me in on. On Monday 18 September—this was the day after the community meeting I attended on 17 September—at 7.42 am, she wrote: 'Odour is horrendous, putrid, composting mixed with chemical. After coughing and then dry-retching, I ended up with my head down the toilet. This seems to be the natural occurrence with me lately—head down the toilet after having a whiff through the window of one inch open, so no windows and doors open for us.' On Monday 25 September, she wrote: 'Odour is foul manure composting smell. It is a disgusting, putrid, horrendous odour. We had to get up and close the house up again. All windows and doors now closed.' On Wednesday 27 September at 7.27 am, she wrote: 'Odour is foul manure composting, very strong. My nose and throat have a burning feeling, plus lips stinging after vomiting. I was trying not to vomit, but I ended up doing it.' This is what Tracey is putting up with day after day.

On Thursday 28 September at 2.05 am, she wrote: 'Odour is composting mixed in with fire smoke. It's making it worse because fire is very strong as well as compost—double whammy. All windows and doors closed. Can't breathe outside at all.' On Thursday 5 October, she wrote: 'Odour has just come through. It is disgusting, putrid, horrendous, manure composting smell.' On Saturday 7 October, she wrote: 'Smell is putrid, composting late last night. Got up to take the dogs for a pee.' On Sunday 8 October at 12.09 am, the middle of the night, she wrote: 'Burning compost smell so strong it's disgusting. Felt like I could be sick if I kept breathing it in.' It's day after day after day after day that the people of Ipswich are putting up with these odours.

On Sunday 8 October at 8.51 am, she wrote: 'Odour is burning compost smell still from last night. No washing can be hung on line, or even go outside and sit in the sun.' Doesn't every single citizen of Australia have the right to be able to go outside and enjoy the sunshine? On Monday 9 October at 1.08 am, she wrote: 'Odour is strong chemical mixed with composting. Chemical smell is stronger than composting. Smell is making me feel nauseous and nose and throat irritated. Headache is coming on so quick too.'

There were further complaints on Tuesday 10 October at 7.47 am, Tuesday 10 October at 9.36 am, Wednesday 11 October at 9.32 am, Friday 13 October at 12.40 pm, Sunday 15 October at 8.42 am, Tuesday 17 October at 3.13 pm, Friday 20 October at 8.37 am, Saturday 28 October at 10.38 pm, Sunday 29 October at 2.57 am, Monday 30 October at 7.32 am, Monday 30 October at 8.40 pm, Thursday 2 November at 7.20 am, Sunday 5 November at 7.43 pm, and Monday 6 November at 7.50 pm. Even before I came in to speak in the chamber in relation to this important matter, Tracey sent me a copy of an email at 6.35 pm tonight. This is what Tracey says: 'Odour is dangerous because it's so strong I nearly collapsed. It smells of toxic chicken manure. It filled up kitchen and dining and lounge room. I could hardly breathe. I had a headache so bad my head is pounding.'

Surely the people of Ipswich deserve a public health inquiry in relation to this awful issue which they've been facing year after year. Tracey and Michelle deserve nothing less.