Urgent court order fails to stop piggery discharging effluent into Te Aroha stream

An urgent court order has not stopped a piggery from discharging effluent into a stream near Te Aroha, despite the situation being an emergency.

The effluent contains faecal bacteria, and landowners in the area have been warned about taking surface water from the stream.

Waikato Regional Council (WRC) successfully sought an interim enforcement order from the Environment Court to stop the piggery effluent from entering a waterway north of the Waikato town.

It’s the first time the council has applied for such an order after compliance officers videoed the discharge on Friday morning.

A still from the video supplied by Waikato Regional Council showing the effluent discharge at the piggery near Te Aroha. Photo / Supplied, Waikato Regional Council

The application was sought by the council the same day and granted by Judge Melinda Dickey as a result of alleged ongoing, uncontrolled and unauthorised discharges to both land and water.

The order requires the pig farm to cease discharging a contaminant on to land in circumstances that may result in it entering water.

To comply with the order, the company would need to either reduce stock numbers or the level of effluent currently stored and explore lawful options for relocating pig effluent off-site, the council said.

However, since seeking the order, WRC has responded to a further significant discharge of effluent reported about 8.30am today, it said.

Landowners have been warned that piggery effluent has entered the Patuwhao Stream which flows to the Waihou River, WRC regional compliance manager Patrick Lynch said.

“There will be faecal bacteria, ammonia and high nutrients from the piggery effluent in the water, so we’re urging landowners taking surface water downstream from this site to exercise caution until the risk has passed.”

Lynch said applying to the Environment Court for an interim enforcement order was unprecedented in the Waikato region.

“But we view the ongoing discharges at this site to be an emergency. They are having an extreme impact on the environment and community, which we feel necessitates such action under the Resource Management Act,” Lynch said.

“This latest incident will form part of an active investigation by the council, and as such, we’re unable to provide any further information at this time.”

The council refused to name the piggery. The director of the piggery company was not able to comment when contacted by the Herald.

Natalie Akoorie is the Open Justice deputy editor, based in Waikato and covering crime and justice nationally. Natalie first joined the Herald in 2011 and has been a journalist in New Zealand and overseas for 27 years, recently covering health, social issues, local government, and the regions.