Council cause of foul smell over Mullumbimby
4.45pm: Byron Shire Council has admitted it was the cause of a foul smell that wafted over Mullumbimby on Wednesday and today generating numerous complaints and causing wild speculation as to the cause.
The smell was described variously by locals as like pig manure, methane, a farm yard or like Mullumbimby Show's animal enclosure.
"People are gagging in the streets," one resident reported.
The pong was particularly pungent around the town's sewerage treatment plant on Valances Rd on the outskirts of town prompting speculation that it may have malfunctioned.
But late today after an investigation over two days, council acting general manager Phil Warner said the smell was caused by council staff spreading biosolids on a Vallances Rd property.
He said biosolids - a treated end product of the Sewage Treatment Plants - were used to fertilise land and agricultural paddocks with all of the shire's biosolids used on local properties for soil improvement.
"The work has been since been stopped due to weather conditions," Mr Warner said.
2.45pm: BYRON Shire Council is investigating a foul smell that has been wafting over Mullumbimby for the last two days generating numerous complaints from residents.
"People are gagging in the streets; it smells like methane; it smells like pig manure," one resident of the "biggest little town in Australia" said.
A council source said a team had investigated the smell yesterday and inquiries had continued today, but a cause yet to be identified.
