Stench over North Coast leaves residents gasping

An acrid, sulphur-like stink has been recurring at Sheffield and Salt Rock, irritating residents and raising fears of respiratory ailments.

According to residents, wind conditions bring the stench into their homes at random hours of the day and night, on some occasions being so disruptive that they have been woken up by the strong smell.

Sheffield resident Ken Davidson said the sulphur-like smell has been lingering for many months and worsened over the past two weeks.

“It smells like wet waste and sulphur, and although I am about 18 kilometres downwind of the local landfill, the entire community has reported very pungent odours since late last year,” said Davidson.

“Unfortunately I have not been able to leave to verify the source of the smell due to the lockdown, but I hope to rope in locals to fund research into the problem.”

Dolphin Coast Conservancy chairperson and member of the KwaDukuza Landfill Committee, Di Jones, said she did not believe the landfill site, near New Guelderland, was responsible for the smell.

She said all necessary steps had been taken by the landfill to make it compliant with regulation since its inception in 2018.

“The refuse at the landfill is compacted daily and covered with soil. There are lots of farmers in the area, including chicken farmers that produce compost, which could also contribute to the smell, together with some factories that burn diesel to run,” said Jones, who said she would be happy to take concerned residents on a tour of the landfill once the lockdown regulations had been lifted.

A long-standing local Sheffield farmer, who chose to remain anonymous, suggested a public meeting be held to discuss the problem.

“There are certainly a lot of livestock farmers who contribute to the smell of compost and the typical farm-like scents to the area, in addition to the local industries,” said the farmer.

“One consideration, however, is that the rapidly urbanising North Coast has not seen residents become accustomed to the smells and odours that I have witnessed all my life growing up in this district. However, we need to work together towards a solution.”

“Perhaps farmers need to have an open public meeting, which I would be happy to be a part of, in order to find a common solution to the matter?”

Dolphin Coast Land Management (DCLM) was contacted for comment but has not responded.

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