Inghams operates an abattoir for processing chickens at 9 Baden Street, Osborne Park which is licensed under the Environmental Protection Act 1986.
On the weekend of 11 to 12 December 2021, an odour was emitted from the premises that nearby residents variously described as ‘incredibly bad’, ‘severe’ and ‘unbearable’.
The matter was reported to Pollution Watch and officers from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation attended the site, inspected the premises and detected strong intermittent odours. The odour was identified by Inghams to have resulted from a blocked outlet valve on a wastewater tank.
Inghams was charged under Section 49(5) of the Environmental Protection Act 1986, which carries a maximum penalty of $125,000.
On 17 May 2024, following a plea of guilty, Inghams Enterprises Pty Ltd was convicted in the Perth Magistrate’s Court of the offence of emitting an odour from its Osborne Park premises on 11 and 12 December 2021 and was fined $25,000.
Inghams has since invested $14.5 million to replace the existing wastewater system with a new wastewater recycling and treatment plant with an odour control system.
