General News
20 December, 2025
Council investigating rotten odour
A TERRIBLE odour that has been annoying residents around Webster Street, Atherton, has been attributed to a flowering tree.
Resident Sue Bremen wrote to The Express to complain of a smell, similar to raw sewerage, that engulfs the area where she lives every year.
“We get this smell anytime of the day or night,” she said.
“This has been reported and explained to Tablelands Regional Council now for the last three years and we are still waiting for them to do something about it.
“The smell on some days gets that bad it makes you sick, so you sit inside your closed-up house in the heat, as putting air-cons on only brings the smell inside.”
TRC initially told The Express the culprit may be a gas depot northwest of the residential area, and ruled out any suggestion the smell was related to the sewer network.
But Sue rejected this, saying the residents had been told this before but given the gas depot closed on weekends and the odour remained, she was confident that was not the cause.
TRC subsequently advised that while it was still investigating the matter, it now believed the odour was emanating from a flowering tree.
“The pattern being described to us – occurring only at this time of year, at irregular hours, and stopping again after a short period – is consistent with several flowering ornamental species known for producing strong smells,” a spokesperson said.
“Some of these can be mistaken for sewerage or rotten organic material when in bloom.
“In the vicinity possibly Bradford Pear or Callery Pear (colloquially ornamental or capital pear) Pyrus calleryana could be the culprit, after a visit to the site.
“It is that time of year, as it stops flowering just about now. We will continue monitoring the situation.... Residents are welcome to continue reporting any further occurrences so we can build a full picture of what’s happening.”
