Campaigners for fresh-smelling air in Hout Bay want to be allowed to assess Oceana fishmeal factory's equipment. The fishing company announced yesterday it had reached an agreement with its 98 workers and the Department of Labour to re-open the factory and not to move it up the west coast to St Helena Bay.Oceana said it would invest R11-million in the plant, which has long been a concern for some residents due to the stench that it emits."We will invest in our chemical scrubbers so they are updated with the latest technology available," said CEO Francois Kuttel.The scrubbers are used to reduce the smell.The factory closed in August because of complaints about the smell and the "growing polarisation of the community which was caused by the plant".Fresh Air for Hout Bay spokesman Kiara Worth said the group - which claims to have about 1400 members - wanted to "understand" and "verify" the equipment."It is interesting that they are spending all that money now when they have always maintained that the equipment was state-of-the-art," she said."We are keen to find out how that money will be spent and [we want to] be a part of that process."The Food and Allied Workers Union celebrated the "victory" which will enable to the factory to return to 120 days of production next year.It has operated for only 60 days a year since 2013.Nondumiso Kopolo, a worker at the plant for 11 years, said staff were happy to return to work.Worth was pleased the workers' jobs had been secured, but felt the plant was of almost no benefit to the community and continued to exploit workers."Oceana increases production but workers get paid the same and work conditions are bad," she said.Kopolo said that, as a shop steward, she never heard of anyone being sick because of the smell.Ron van Nijkerk, owner of Harbour Master Guest House, said the plant had no major impact on his business and he had lost only about one client a year due to the smell ."I don't mind the plant opening as long as it employs good scrubbers to get rid of the smell," he said...