Hundreds complained, now we know the cause of the smell

The cause of a foul smell noticed across Geelong’s southern suburbs has been identified.

The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) attributed the odour to fertiliser used on farming land across the region on Monday afternoon after days of complaints.

The smell was first noticed on Thursday 12 February, when locals in Armstrong Creek and surrounding areas took to social media to question the scent.

Following hundreds of community complaints, the EPA launched an investigation on Saturday to determine the cause of the smell.

An EPA spokesperson said it will dissipate in the coming days.

“EPA has been responding to several hundred calls from members of the Geelong community about an ongoing and highly unpleasant odour issue they have been experiencing,” the spokesperson said.

“Officers have inspected multiple sites and have concluded the odour has been caused by the widespread use of an organic, chicken manure-based fertiliser on several farms in the area.”

After days of bothering noses in Geelong’s southern suburbs, the scent drifted towards Torquay on Monday.

Locals speculated online to the cause of the smell, including suggestions at both industrial and farming sources. Meanwhile, keen gardeners were quick to identify fertiliser as a likely cause. Attempts to place blame on Barwon Water and Viva Energy were quickly dispelled by each organisation.

The EPA has been in contact with a contractor believed to have been involved in the distribution of the fertiliser and confirmed there are no long-term effects from the odour.

“We will now work with other agencies, in particular Agriculture Victoria, to increase awareness in the sector about guidelines on how to use and store on-farm fertilisers,” the spokesperson said.