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Lenti Lenko and his sons Christian and Dominic are battling the identical stench they tried to flee years in the past after it moved into their new neighbourhood.
Melbourne’s Lenko household have been left vomiting and suffocating within the horrific stench of their native tip for greater than a decade.
The household spent years dwelling downwind of the Hampton Park landfill, which Environmental Safety Authority (EPA) knowledge exhibits has prompted greater than 1200 odour complaints in two years from residents of Cranbourne and Narre Warren South.
Lenti and Rachel Lenko purchased a house in Hampton Park in 2009 after the actual property agent assured them that landfill was “not a difficulty”.
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“They instructed us we’d get a faint odor late at night time, however nothing that might go inside the home,” he mentioned.
“For 2 years, that was true, however by 2011, it was insufferable.”
Mr Lenko mentioned he known as the EPA to query the foul odours, however was instructed it was momentary — whereas the landfill’s operators mentioned there was “no downside”.
The Lenko household misplaced $150,000 making an attempt to flee the insufferable landfill odour solely to face it once more years later. Image: Mark Stewart.
“My spouse was pregnant, and the odor was so unhealthy it made her vomit,” Mr Lenko mentioned.
“It was like being trapped inside a rotting garbage tip.”
The EPA later confirmed the landfill had breached environmental laws, resulting in ongoing group complaints.
Lenti Lenko mentioned his spouse was left vomiting from the odor whereas pregnant, but authorities assured them it was ‘not a difficulty’. Image: Mark Stewart.
After 5 years of complaints, the household lower their losses and offered their dwelling earlier than shopping for into Narre Warren South in 2016.
“We misplaced $150,000 transferring to flee,” Mr Lenko mentioned.
“We’d paid off half our home. We’d be debt-free by now.”
Then, on Mom’s Day 2019, the nightmare returned — after they’d moved to their new dwelling.
“I used to be hanging out the washing, and abruptly it hit me — that very same disgusting odor, proper in my yard,” Mr Lenko mentioned.
Livid, he contacted the EPA once more, solely to be instructed the problem was being monitored.
Hampton Park residents have endured years of suffocating landfill stench, with greater than 1,200 odour complaints lodged in simply two years. Picture: Gemma Scerri.
With new growth plans on the desk, Mr Lenko mentioned he feared the problem would develop worse.
“What number of extra folks should lose cash, lose sleep, and lose their sanity earlier than somebody does one thing?”
“This landfill shouldn’t even exist in 2025. And but, right here we’re, nonetheless combating the identical battle.”
Apollo Auctions Victorian head Andy Reid warns that unhealthy smells may slash dwelling values, and doubtlessly go away householders unable to promote.
In July final 12 months, the EPA fined SBI Landfill in Cranbourne almost $20,000 after drone flights detected breaches.
However Mr Lenko mentioned the fines have been “a drop within the ocean” in comparison with the harm completed to their properties and high quality of life.
Apollo Auctions Victorian head Andy Reid warned that unhealthy smells may slash dwelling values, leaving householders unable to promote.
“If a worth appears to be like too good to be true, it most likely is,” Mr Reid mentioned.
“Unhealthy smells create unhealthy emotional responses, and that interprets into decrease property values.”
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