The ORC’s Environmental Data Portal is experiencing high traffic volumes affecting its effectiveness at present. The site is being worked on at present and people are asked to be patient. Please be considerate in using this tool, some people require access to the EDP for important decision-making today.
Environmental Data PortalThe ORC’s Environmental Data Portal is experiencing high traffic volumes affecting its effectiveness at present. The site is being worked on at present and people are asked to be patient. Please be considerate in using this tool, some people require access to the EDP for important decision-making today.
Bad smells from industry, farming and treatment processes can be a real nuisance, significantly affecting people’s lives and wellbeing.
Unpleasant, strong, long-lasting odours (smells) can become a problem if activities like industry, open landfills, wastewater treatment plants and rendering plants are not appropriately managed, particularly for people living nearby.
Complaints about odour emissions are one of the most frequent environmental pollution incidents reported to regulatory authorities. Approximately 11% of the complaints and incidents we received in the 2022-23 year were about odour.
Sources of odour in Otago could include:
Odours are caused by mixtures of chemicals that stimulate our sense of smell. Humans are very sensitive to a wide range of chemicals, and everyone reacts to odours differently. For example, someone who lives and works rurally may not be affected by silage smells while cityfolk may find them offensive. Some odours, like the smell of freshly mown grass, are pleasant while others are highly offensive.
An individual’s reaction can depend on the odour’s:
Sensitivity to odour can also vary depending on a person’s:
Some odours are not culturally acceptable – for example, odours from a crematorium or wastewater treatment plant.
People can become de-sensitised to a smell over time and no longer find it offensive. For example, people who have grown up in a town where a particular industry is the main employer may generally accept those odour emissions as part of life.
The Regional Plan: Air for Otago (the Air Plan) helps us manage Otago’s air resource. It has policies and methods (which include rules) to address air quality issues in Otago.
The Regional Plan: Air for Otago (the Air Plan) assists us in managing Otago's air resource.
ORC's Air Quality Strategy ensures safe, clean air in Otago for everyone's health. Download it to see how we're achieving this goal.
If you’re concerned about an odour, we encourage you to talk with the organisation, business or homeowner who is responsible for it. Most people are reasonable and willing to discuss the problem, and we find that most situations can be resolved this way.
You can report nuisance odour to our 24/7 pollution hotline on 800 800 033, or email pollution@orc.govt.nz.
It’s helpful if you can answer these questions:
If you can’t agree on a solution with those causing the odour, our staff will assess the problem with a site investigation that involves a FIDOL survey to measure the odours:
We also consider any previous, confirmed, odour complaints about the same site.
Our assessment is based on the Good Practice Guide for Assessing and Managing Odour, which you can find on the Ministry for the Environment's website.
This Ministry of Environment MfE guide outlines good practice in assessing and managing odours that cause offensive and objectionable effects in New Zealand.
If you observe any type of air pollution in Otago, such as dust, odours, or other pollutants, please contact our Pollution Hotline at 0800 800 033 or fill in the form on our Report Pollution page. Your information is crucial in helping us maintain a cleaner environment for everyone in Otago.