Residents in Perth's northwest suburbs are enduring what they describe as a "living hell" due to a persistent, noxious odor emanating from the Tamala Park Waste Facility. The smell, a result of a significant buildup of liquid waste known as leachate, has fueled a two-year campaign by locals demanding closure of the landfill.
The volume of leachate at the facility is now estimated to be approximately 2.07 million cubic meters, enough to fill nearly 167 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Residents express concerns over the smell's impact on their health and the potential for ground contamination.
Council Seeks State Intervention
On Tuesday, the City of Perth, one of seven councils utilizing the Tamala Park site, voted to request intervention from the state government. The council aims to secure a "balanced regulatory response" to facilitate a practical pathway for the facility's closure. They also plan to monitor leachate management, community impact, and financial costs associated with the site's closure.
Suzanne Thompson, a resident living approximately 7 kilometers from the landfill, stated that while residents understand proximity to a waste facility entails some odor, they expect adequate protection. "Western Australian landfills are licensed and regulated with the expectation that they must manage odour, leachate, landfill gas and other emissions so they do not cause unreasonable impacts beyond the site boundary," she noted.
Regulatory Action and Financial Concerns
The Mindarie Regional Council, which operates the Tamala Park facility, received an Environmental Protection Notice on August 3 from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. The notice cited the landfill's odorous emissions as causing pollution affecting nearby residents and raised concerns about potential groundwater contamination from leachate. The department requires the council to submit a report within 30 days detailing the leachate volume and its planned removal.
This situation comes as the landfill is nearing the end of its operational life, currently projected for around 2028. However, the excessive leachate buildup has prompted calls for an earlier closure. An assessment by the Mindarie Regional Council indicates that treating and removing the excess liquid waste could cost the involved councils hundreds of millions of dollars. The report suggests that historical cost estimates may no longer be directly applicable given the revised leachate figures.