RESIDENTS are demanding urgent government action after enduring years of foul odours from a Tivoli soil recycling facility.
Candy Soil has been the subject of community complaints since 2018, with locals describing the smell as “putrid”, “chemical-like”, and “resembling dead animals”.
Many say the stench has become an everyday battle, impacting their quality of life.
North Ipswich resident Danielle Mutton said the situation was intolerable.
“We are not second-class citizens, and our concerns about waste odours and non-compliant operators must be taken seriously,” she said.
Ms Mutton said the smell affected a wide area, including North Ipswich, Karalee, Tivoli, and even the Ipswich CBD.
“For over a year, I’ve been reporting the putrid odour from Candy Soil to the State Government Regulator,” she said.
“Just a few weeks ago, I got home after 7.30pm and was immediately assaulted by the stink. An hour later, it was still unbearable. This unpredictability is causing anxiety and distress.”
Residents argue that Candy Soil is failing to comply with environmental regulations and should be restricted from accepting odorous waste. They are calling for increased fines, stronger enforcement, and even temporary shutdowns until compliance is proven.
Stop the Stink spokeswoman Tracey Butler echoed the calls for urgent intervention.
“The government inquiry should be released to residents, and laws enforced immediately. No odour should be coming out of these facilities,” she said.
“Where is our right to clean air? We should be able to open our windows and breathe without fear. If this isn’t solved, we will take legal action against these companies and the Government.”
Community anger has intensified since the Department for Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) issued an Environmental Enforcement Order to Candy Soil. While the move acknowledges a serious issue, locals are questioning why action took so long.
Ipswich West MP Wendy Bourne said residents were justified in their frustration.
“This is not a new problem,” she said. “People have been raising concerns for years, and they’re right to ask why it’s taken this long to be taken seriously.”
Earlier this year, Ms Bourne urged the Government to include Tivoli in a public health inquiry examining major odour issues across Ipswich.
“If a business is slapped with an Environmental Enforcement Order, it should not be business as usual,” she said.
“They should not be accepting more odorous waste until all changes are implemented.”
Ms Mutton said residents were also worried about potential health impacts.
She criticised the decision to exclude Tivoli locals from the health inquiry’s terms of reference, saying it sent a message that their wellbeing was not a priority.
“How will the Health Minister investigate the health impacts when our community was deliberately excluded?”
Frustration is reaching boiling point, with warnings of protests if progress stalls.
“The community has had enough,” Ms Bourne said.
“Environmental compliance is not optional. The time to act is now.”
