‘It smells like rotting flesh’: Adelaide Hills town struggling with foul stench
A long-running stoush between a high-profile fertiliser company and its Adelaide Hills neighbours is ramping up. Now the company’s operations have landed in the environment court.
Residents say a thick odour enveloping the Adelaide Hills town of Kanmantoo is getting worse as warm weather approaches.
Its source is a top fertiliser company currently facing court proceedings.
Biological fertiliser company Neutrog operates a composting facility at Kanmantoo containing piles of chicken manure regulated to be no larger than three metres tall, seven metres wide and 25 metres long.
Residents of the town about 40kms southeast of Adelaide say they are fed up with the smell and dread the warmer weather exacerbating the problem.
SA Health has acknowledged the problem and in a statement warned people about the potential respiratory and psychological impacts.
“If a person is experiencing health impacts they suspect are a result of the odour, they should seek medical advice from their healthcare provider,” a spokesperson said.
One business owner, who chose to remain nameless, told InDaily the odour persists all year round but the scent changes seasonally.
“It can smell like vomit,” she said.
“Like really bad, strong vomit, you’re like, what’s that vomit?
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“Then you can get one day where it smells like rotting flesh, it’s like a rotting, decomposing animal smell. There’s all these different smells, and there’s often a burning smell as well.”
It has led to letters penned to a swathe of state ministers, the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and the Premier Peter Malinauskas. Residents in the town of around 500 people claim the smell is causing health issues and driving people out of town.
Neutrog has been composting from the site since 2021 and told InDaily it was aware of concerns raised about its operations.
The company said it released a community action plan in September this year that was developed by a local independent consultant DemocracyCo and approved by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA).
It includes DemocracyCo recruiting for a new Community Reference Panel expected to have its first meeting in November.
At the same time, the EPA has confirmed it commenced legal proceedings against Neutrog Trading Pty Ltd (Neutrog) on July 30, 2025 for alleged breaches of the Environment Protection Act 1993.
Due to the early stages of the proceedings, the EPA did not provide further information about the matter adjourned until October 9.
“Neutrog Australia is very mindful of our operations and at all times we strive to minimise odour,” a statement from Neutrog Australia communications manager Hazel Ashby said.
“We have listened to all our stakeholders and we are now moving forward with a new, collaborative approach to addressing concerns.
“Neutrog Australia has been operating in the Adelaide Hills for over 37 years producing biological fertiliser for farmers, growers and gardeners across the country and overseas.
“We currently have 68 staff who live in the local region, out of a national workforce of 77.”
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However, residents remain concerned, fearing the community action plan was “more about public relations than public health”.
A letter to InDaily from residents, none of whom wanted to be named, said “the last three Christmases and New Years have been stunk out”.
“We can’t hang our washing outdoors; it reeks of rotting chicken shit. We have to wash it again and use the dryer.”
An SA Health spokesperson said the department was aware the situation in Kanmantoo “may cause some disturbance to community living conditions and wellbeing, and continues to engage with the public about any concerns raised by residents”.
“Persistent exposure to offensive odours may lead to some physical and mental health impacts.
“Respiratory effects like throat and nasal irritation may occur, alongside coughing and sneezing.
“Psychological and social impacts, including stress and anxiety, sleep disturbances and social isolation, may also be experienced as a result.”
One resident claimed the situation was getting unbearable.
“You can actually feel like you can’t breathe,” she said.
“You’ve got to shut your house up, you’ve got to shut everything down and even then it creeps in through all the gaps.”
Neutrog said it no longer receives compost material on the northern side of its site to minimise odour.
Neutrog is waiting on the result of a development application lodged in 2023 to make its piles larger, up to 400 tonnes.
A second development application was also lodged in 2023 to build a shed to enclose compost piles.
When asked about the status of the development application, the EPA said “Mount Barker District Council have referred the application”.
“The EPA is awaiting further information from Neutrog as part of the assessment, including long-term measures to address odour,” it said.
New Environment Minister Lucy Hood said the EPA “continues to inspect and monitor the site to ensure compliance with the requirements of previous ERD Court Orders and conditions of the Neutrog EPA licence”.
Hood sent a letter to the concerned residents on October 1, after receiving questions about the matter from InDaily, and said she “welcomes ideas put forward in addressing concerns raised”.
