NSW Environmental Protection Agency NSW Government
 

AJ Bush and Sons, Riverstone

Information about our response to community complaints about odours from the premises of AJ Bush and Sons.

The EPA continues to regulate AJ Bush and Sons at Riverstone through an environment protection licence. The licence is available on the EPA's Public Register.

AJ Bush has advised that it will cease collection, aggregation and processing/rendering of meat offcuts and other by-products from small meat processors at its Riverstone site by the end of May. 

The EPA will work with AJ Bush to ensure the site is appropriately decommissioned. Further information is on the AJ Bush website.

What is the EPA doing about the odours?

The EPA is working with AJ Bush and Sons to improve odour management at its Riverstone site.

We are monitoring AJ Bush and Sons compliance with its requirements to reduce odour impacts.

We appreciate that the impacts of odours can be unpleasant and can have an effect on quality of life.

We use a variety of regulatory approaches to ensure AJ Bush and Sons comply with their licence, and our regulatory decision making is undertaken in line with the EPA’s Regulatory Policy and procedural fairness.

Penalty Infringement Notice and Caution – February 2024 

The EPA has issued AJ Bush and Sons with a penalty infringement notice of $15,000 and an official caution following an unannounced inspection of the Riverstone premises in September 2023 where alleged breaches of their Environment Protection Licence were observed. 

The inspection followed a routine odour survey by EPA officers on 12 September of Riverstone, Rouse Hill, and Grantham Farm, where odours suspected to have originated from activities at AJ Bush and Sons’ Riverstone premises were detected.  

The penalty notice and caution reminds AJ Bush and Sons of their obligations under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act and can be found on our Public Register. 

Clean-up notice – September 2023

While on site on 12 September 2023, EPA officers identified several areas where spills or leaks from equipment had occurred which required immediate attention. We issued a Clean-Up Notice to AJ Bush and Sons, requiring them to immediately take specified clean-up actions at the premises to reduce the risk of odour pollution.

The issued notice can be found on our Public Register. AJ Bush and Sons have completed the clean-up actions required by the notice. 

The EPA also issued an Official Caution to AJ Bush and Sons following an investigation into maintenance of the biofilter between February and April 2023.

Background

AJ Bush and Sons (Bush’s Proteins) has been undertaking meat rendering activities at its Riverstone premises since 1956. The services provided by AJ Bush and Sons play an important role in the waste management cycle. Further information about this can be found on the AJ Bush and Sons website.

The NSW EPA regulates AJ Bush and Sons current activities through Environment Protection Licence number 1100. AJ Bush and Sons’ Environment Protection Licence and related notices can be found on the EPA’s public register.

Continued urban development on rural land surrounding the AJ Bush and Sons premise since the early 2010s has resulted in a significant increase in the residential populations of Riverstone, Rouse Hill, Grantham Farm, Tallawong, and Box Hill. These land use changes have coincided with an increase in reports made to the EPA Environment Line from community members surrounding the AJ Bush and Sons premises.

Reporting odour or concerns

Reports from the community play an important role in investigating odour and air-pollution incidents and we appreciate how unpleasant the impacts can be.

If residents are concerned about any symptoms they may experience due to odours they should seek advice from their local General Practitioner.

AJ Bush and Sons

If you are experiencing odours and believe that they are originating from AJ Bush and Sons, we encourage you to provide feedback directly to AJ Bush and Sons so the business can investigate potential causes of odour at the time you may experience them. Your input to AJ Bush and Sons plays an important role in ensuring the right environmental outcomes are achieved for the community. AJ Bush and Sons is also best placed to answer queries relating to odour mitigating activities and the impacts of any odour from their premises.

To contact AJ Bush and Sons:

Reports through these channels can be made anonymously, and all reports are handled by a third-party consultant and not AJ Bush and Sons directly.

As required by its Environment Protection Licence AJ Bush and Sons must keep a record of all complaints made to the company or any employee or agent of the company and provide the records to the EPA.

NSW Department of Planning Housing, and Infrastructure

Land-use conflicts between industry and residential communities can be frustrating. If you have concerns or questions relating to the Riverstone East (Stage 3) urban planning and development, please visit the NSW Department of Planning, Housing, and Infrastructure.

Any concerns related to this stage of development should be directed to the Riverstone East stage 3 support team on 1300 420 596 or by email to [email protected].

NSW Environment Protection Authority

Community members may continue to report new information and odour events to the EPA via Environment Line 131 555 or [email protected]. When reporting odours to the Environment Line it’s helpful to include as much information as possible to help the EPA investigate. Read the how do I report odours (PDF, 200KB) for reporting any new odour events to the Environment Line.

All reports made to the Environment Line are important to us. We may not respond directly to reports made to the Environment Line unless we require further information.

We will keep our community webpage updated with our actions. Community members who have previously contacted us will be notified when updates are available.

Local councils

If you are experiencing odours and believe that they are originating from a source other than AJ Bush and Sons, please reach out to the local councils for the area in which the source may be located.

To contact Blacktown City Council:

To contact The Hills Shire Council: