About odour
Odour emissions can result from a range of industrial, commercial and natural processes. They can be influenced by meteorological conditions, topography or even the time of year.
As Queensland’s environmental regulator, the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (the department) is responsible for investigating odour reports about the businesses and industries it regulates.
Planning and land use approval decisions including zoning for residential development are made by local government though planning schemes and land use approvals under the Planning Act 2016. Land use is also sometimes considered by the Department of State Development, Infrastructure Local Government and Planning in identifying priority development areas.
Queensland Health is responsible for considering any potential health impacts as a result of air quality and odour.
Where possible, the department works with other agencies and local governments to achieve the best outcomes for the community.
The information sheet Noise, Odour, Dust – making a complaint (ESR/2015/1865) (PDF, 322 KB) provides general information about environmental nuisance and who to report it to.
If you believe an activity in your area is regulated by the department, you can check if they hold an environmental authority by searching the Public Register Portal using the individual licence holders name in the ‘issued to’ field. Alternatively you can search using the postcode of the activity.
As residential developments encroach closer to commercial and industrial land uses, community reports of odour have increased. In response, the department has developed more and more sophisticated monitoring programs to tackle the issue.
Air quality monitoring equipment typically collects outdoor air samples for laboratory analysis of targeted compounds against their respective human health guideline values. The human nose is capable of detecting odours at much lower levels, which may indicate a nuisance odour rather than a health concern.
In order to take enforcement action, the source of the odour must be able to be established and the release must also be unlawful. This evidence is critical when considering enforcement action.
Industry guidance
The department works closely with operators to ensure they are compliant with their license conditions through a dedicated program of regular monitoring, inspections and enforcement responses.
The following materials are available to assist operators with understanding how to meet their environmental obligations.
- Guideline - Application requirements for activities with impacts to air ESR/2015/1840 (PDF, 403 KB)
- Model operating conditions - Model operating conditions ERA 53—Compost and soil conditioner manufacturing 200 t per year ESR/2015/1665 (PDF, 670 KB)
- Model operating conditions - Model operating conditions ERA 63 – sewage treatment ESR/2015/1668 (PDF, 230KB)
- Guideline - Best Practice Environmental Management – Environmentally relevant activity 53(a) ESR/2021/5670 (PDF, 751 KB)
- Guideline - Prevention of fires in waste stockpiles ESR/2020/5409 (PDF, 1268 KB)
- Guideline - Landfill siting, design, operations, and rehabilitation guideline ESR/2015/1627 (PDF, 923 KB)
- Guideline - Maintaining a decommissioned landfill ERA60(4) ESR/2020/5499 (PDF, 294 KB)