Ipswich City Council has refused an application by Wood Mulching Industries (WMI) requesting a three-year extension of time on an approved development application to move from its open composting facility in Swanbank to an enclosed processing plant.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said WMI had requested the extension citing external challenges to the delivery of their planned enclosed processing plant.
“WMI currently operate a conventional, open wood mulching and composting facility in Swanbank, and have a development approval from council to move to an in-vessel, enclosed processing plant and biogas facility,” Mayor Harding said.
“The company lodged a minor change application with council to amend the conditions of development approval on the proposed enclosed processing plant, specifically the time limit to develop the new enclosed processing plant.
“The proposed amendment sought to extend the existing development permit by an additional three years.”
A report prepared by council’s officers included an assessment of the proposal and recommended that the council approve the request, including recommendations of amended timeframes that included a staged approach to the proposal with a revised timeline.
Councillors voted against the recommendations of the officers, five votes to three. This resulted in the application being refused.
“This extension was too long for residents who expect composting operators to enclose odorous facilities in line with Queensland Government regulations,” Mayor Harding said.
“It is my view that this decision has been made with the ongoing odour impacts on the Ipswich community at the forefront of our minds.
“The Queensland Government’s Public Health Inquiry – Odour issues at the Swanbank and New Chum industrial areas issued June 2025 stated: ‘Through work conducted in 2023, DETSI (Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation) identified composting facilities in the industrial areas, that is, WMI and NuGrow as the primary sources of odour in the community’.
“WMI received council approval in 2020 to enclose their composting operations and to date have not commenced building these facilities. I find this lack of action to be disappointing, and I know our community feel let down by this lack of action from WMI.”
Councillors agreed on the following points to substantiate the refusal of the application:
- Council is not satisfied that the amenity of the area will be protected or enhanced by approving this application;
- The long-term environmental concerns of residents affected by this current development will not be properly addressed by approving this application; and
- Council is not satisfied that the ultimate objective of a timely reduction of odorous waste streams will occur by approving this application.
A decision notice communicating the refusal of the development application was issued on 2 March 2026.
Mayor Harding said WMI may lodge an appeal to the Planning and Environment Court.
“While WMI is not yet required to have its composting facility fully enclosed, the community has been clear that odour impacts must be minimised as soon as possible,” Mayor Harding said.
Division 1 Councillor Pye Augustine said councillors prioritised the wellbeing of the community in making the decision to refuse the application.
“Putting the community at the centre of this decision means recognising that while the deadline to no longer accept highly odorous waste is set for September 2026, residents expect operators to meet that commitment on time and to take all reasonable steps to reduce odour impacts in the meantime,” Cr Augustine said.
“Responsible and sustainable waste management means ensuring facilities operate in a way that protects people’s health, wellbeing, and ability to enjoy their homes.
“We can acknowledge the need for responsible waste solutions while still being firm in our expectation that operators honour their obligations and transition to enclosed facilities without seeking further extensions.”
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