Odour, Smoke & Air Quality Assessments for Cooking Facilities — Sydney
Kitchen exhaust from restaurants, cafes, takeaway shops, and bakeries is one of the most common sources of odour and smoke complaints councils deal with — and one of the most preventable, with the right assessment at the right stage. Enviro Corp prepares odour, smoke, and air quality assessments for small business cooking facilities across Sydney, whether you’re opening a new kitchen and need a report for your development application, or responding to a council notice or neighbour complaint about an existing exhaust system.
Two Reasons You Might Need This Assessment
1. Opening or fitting out a new food business Most commercial kitchen exhaust systems trigger a Development Application (DA) or Complying Development Certificate (CDC), and councils frequently require an odour and air quality assessment alongside the mechanical engineer’s exhaust design — particularly where the site is near residential windows, outdoor dining, or another business’s air intake. Getting this right at the DA stage avoids delays, design amendments, or a refused application.
2. Responding to a complaint or council notice on an existing kitchen If a neighbour has complained about smoke or cooking odour, or council has issued a notice about your exhaust system, an independent odour and smoke assessment identifies exactly what’s happening, whether your system meets the offensive odour threshold under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, and what practical controls would resolve it — giving you an evidence-based response rather than guessing at a fix.
The Standard Behind Kitchen Exhaust — AS 1668
Kitchen exhaust systems in NSW are governed by two related Australian Standards, both referenced directly by the National Construction Code:
- AS 1668.1:2015 — fire and smoke control (duct fire-rating, routing, and safety)
- AS 1668.2:2024 — mechanical ventilation (exhaust rates, hood design, discharge requirements)
Cooking generates different levels of grease, smoke, and odour depending on process type — AS 1668.2 classifies cooking equipment into process Types 1 to 5:
| Type | Examples | Exhaust/Odour Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Type 1–2 | Sandwich press, bain-marie, light cafe equipment | Lower |
| Type 3–4 | Standard restaurant cooking, ovens, fryers | Moderate |
| Type 5 | Char-grilling, wok cooking, high-volume deep-frying | Highest |
Type 5 cooking is where odour and smoke complaints most commonly originate — char grills and woks in particular generate grease-laden air that standard filtration may not adequately treat, which is exactly where an odour assessment (rather than just a mechanical compliance check) adds real value.
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Frequently asked questions
Not always, but many councils request one alongside your mechanical exhaust design where the site is near residential windows, outdoor dining areas, or another business’s air intake — particularly for Type 5 cooking such as char-grilling.
The Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 requires exhaust systems to operate free from the emission of offensive odours and smoke — this is a legal standard councils and the EPA can enforce, separate from the mechanical exhaust rate requirements in AS 1668.2.
An independent odour and smoke assessment identifies the actual source and severity, checks it against the legal offensive odour standard, and recommends proportionate fixes.
A mechanical engineer certifies your exhaust system meets AS 1668’s airflow and fire-safety requirements. An odour assessment specifically evaluates the odour and smoke impact itself against EPA and legal criteria — the two are complementary, and councils may require both.