newy.com.au – A Hexham dairy processor has been fined $30,000 after NSW environmental regulators found poor maintenance at its wastewater treatment plant caused sewage-like odours that affected nearby residents and businesses.
The NSW Environment Protection Authority issued the fine to Hexham Manufacturing Pty Ltd over odours from its dairy processing facility at Hexham, in Newcastle.
The regulator received several complaints between August and October 2025, prompting officers to inspect the site and surrounding area multiple times. The EPA said officers confirmed offensive odours were mainly coming from the facility’s wastewater treatment plant, with the same smell detected offsite at a number of locations.
In September 2025, the EPA issued Hexham Manufacturing with a Prevention Notice. The company then undertook an extensive desludging operation.
The $30,000 fine was issued for failing to properly maintain the wastewater treatment plant, which the EPA said breached conditions of the company’s 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. That didn’t happen in this case,” Mr Sheehy said.
“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, and the EPA will continue taking action where licence holders fail to properly manage and maintain their infrastructure.”
The EPA urged anyone who experiences strong or unusual odours to report them to its Environment Line at info@epa.nsw.gov.au, with as much detail as possible to support investigations.
