A Hunter dairy processor has been fined $30,000 for failing to maintain its plant equipment, resulting in sewage-like odours over Newcastle.
The NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) penalised Hexham Manufacturing Pty Ltd after receiving several complaints from residents and businesses between August and October.
It prompted officers to conduct multiple inspections of the site and surrounding areas.
Following enquiries, they confirmed the offensive odours were mainly coming from the wastewater treatment plant, with the same smell detected offsite at numerous locations.
In September 2025, the EPA issued Hexham Manufacturing with a Prevention Notice and the company undertook an extensive desludging operation.
Since then, the state agency has fined the operator $30,000 for breaching the conditions of its Environment Protection Licence.
NSW EPA director of operations Greg Sheehy said the community had been subjected to unacceptable impacts.
“Operators are required to properly maintain equipment and respond before issues escalate,” he explained.
“Unfortunately, that didn’t happen in this case.
“Our investigation found the facility’s wastewater treatment system had not been adequately maintained for several years, contributing to shocking conditions that caused strong odours.
“Excessive sludge had accumulated in the main aeration dam, impacting the operational performance by leaving the pond overloaded.
“This build-up resulted in a blanket of fatty acids and dairy waste such as whey, leading to poor settling, foam and odours.
“The local community had to deal with persistent offensive odours for too long.
“We’ll continue to take action where licence holders fail to properly manage and maintain their infrastructure.”
Anyone who experiences strong or unusual odours should report them to the EPA’s Environment Line at [email protected], with as much detail as possible to support their investigations.
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