An agricultural company has been fined more than $9000 not complying with requests for information from Victoria's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) officers.
An EPA investigation began after residents in the Wyndham region reported a smell which was described as "a fertiliser or manure type smell" on March 16.
EPA West Metropolitan Regional Manager Steve Lansdell said officers traced the odour to a farm at Mt Cottrell.
"The next day, officers traced the odour back to a property on Dukelows Rd and were able to confirm that the company had been applying manure to paddocks on the farm," he said.
EPA had then issued Toohey Ag Contracting Pty Ltd, with an official notice requesting details of the type and amount of fertiliser or soil conditioner, details of any stockpiles, and any records that showed any measures taken to quell the smell.
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"The company did not respond to EPA's formal notice and failed to respond to a second notice a few days later," Mr Lansdell said.
"We only heard from the company director when he received the infringement notice - a fine of $9,087 for failing to respond to those notices."
Mr Landsall said if the company initially provided information to officers as requested, a fine could have been avoided.
"Any business operator or landholder must take an EPA remedial notice seriously." he said
"In this case, cooperation in providing information and resolving the odour problem might have made a fine unnecessary," he said.
"Paying the fine will not end the investigation, and EPA will still expect measures will be taken to prevent the odour problem in the future."
Earlier this year a Yarra Valley cheese producer paid a $9000 fine for not complying with with a notice that asked for improvements to wastewater treatment to stop emitting a strong odour from their premises.
