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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →In July 2024, City of Nedlands monitoring detected a distinct odour in Floreat residential streets and identified the Arvela development at 1 Underwood Avenue as the source during those observations. Residents had told PerthNow the smell disrupted backyard barbecues and kept them indoors. The dated record establishes what was found then; it does not establish whether the odour was later resolved or continues today.
What Floreat residents said about the smell
In a 9 September 2024 report, PerthNow journalist Natalie Richards described complaints from residents in southern Floreat near Underwood Avenue about a putrid, “dead animal” smell. Residents told the outlet that they cancelled backyard barbecues, avoided visitors and kept doors and windows closed. One resident, Cameron Green, said: “We have to stay inside and close all the doors and windows.” These are accounts from residents quoted in the report, not a survey of all Floreat households. PerthNow’s report also quoted Arvela as saying: “Nonetheless, respecting community concerns, Arvela is installing advanced odour mitigation systems.”
What the City’s monitoring established
The City of Nedlands’ September 2024 council minutes provide a dated finding that is more specific than the residents’ accounts. The City said monitoring on 23 and 25 July, under southwesterly and south-southwesterly winds, detected a distinct odour in residential Floreat streets and confirmed the Arvela development as the source during those observations. A site visit on 13 September found odour strongly perceptible beyond the property boundary despite recently installed filtration. These findings apply to the stated observations; they do not show that every odour event in the area had the same source. The council minutes record the monitoring and planning assessment.
How the issue developed in 2024
- 15 February: The City received an odour complaint from a Floreat resident north of 1 Underwood Avenue. Environmental Health Officers investigated and found odour appeared periodically to emanate from the site.
- 13 March: The City wrote to Arvela about the alleged nuisance and requested a plan to prevent odours. The minutes say the requested work was completed but had limited success.
- 4 June: The City issued a Directions Notice to the landowner, the University of Western Australia. It required the use to cease and sea containers to be removed within 60 days, or a retrospective development application to be lodged.
- 23 July: A retrospective application was lodged. The City’s minutes refer to added ventilation stacks and recently installed filtration, while noting that odour persisted.
- 23 and 25 July: City monitoring detected a distinct odour in residential streets under southwesterly and south-southwesterly winds and identified the Arvela development as the source for those observations.
- 29 August–12 September: The City advertised the application to 106 surrounding landowners and residents. It received 48 submissions, all objecting; odour was the primary issue raised. These are consultation submissions, not a representative poll.
- 24 September: The council record said officers considered the odour impact detrimental to the locality and unsupported at the site’s current capacity. At that stage, officers did not support an additional shipping container.
- 15 November: A City media release said Council had denied Arvela’s retrospective application and that a prosecution hearing was scheduled for 22 November. The release states the hearing was scheduled; it does not give an outcome. The City’s release reports the decision and scheduled hearing.
What was being processed at the site
PerthNow reported that the nearby operation used flies to process agricultural waste, with insect excrement converted into fertiliser. The report said the flies were switched to an animal-based diet between December and March and suggested this might explain a stronger smell. That explanation was presented as a possible reason, not a confirmed cause. Arvela told PerthNow it had investigated complaints and that its odour tests did not confirm the facility was responsible, while also saying it was installing mitigation systems in response to community concerns.
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What an odour complaint does—and does not—show
Western Australia’s Department of Water and Environmental Regulation describes unreasonable odour in terms of interference with health, welfare, convenience, comfort or amenity. It says local governments investigate nuisance odours from ordinary premises, while the department regulates specified large licensed or registered industries. A strong or unpleasant smell description alone does not establish a health hazard. The incident-specific sources cited here do not establish health effects for Floreat residents. For Western Australian reporting routes and guidance, see the department’s reporting guidance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to document a recurring odour
If an odour recurs, a dated record can help an investigating authority understand its pattern. WA guidance recommends keeping a diary and reporting promptly. Include:
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- the date, time and location;
- how the odour smelled and how strong it was;
- how long it lasted and whether it has occurred before;
- weather and wind conditions, if known;
- what you experienced or observed, including effects on ordinary activities; and
- any suspected source, clearly identified as an observation rather than a confirmed cause.
Victorian EPA guidance offers a supplementary checklist of useful details, including strength, duration, recurrence and wind direction or speed; Western Australian residents should use the local reporting route set out by WA authorities. Victorian EPA odour-reporting guidance explains those additional details. A notebook can help preserve dates and observations, but it cannot identify or mitigate an outdoor source.
The latest incident-specific official records cited here are from November 2024. They do not establish whether the smell later stopped, whether Arvela’s operations or approvals changed afterward, or what happened at the scheduled prosecution hearing. A current status requires a more recent City or court record.
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