Frustrations aired in Havelock North at farm issues meeting

Some of the residents who attended last week's information evening.

Havelock North residents believe regulators dropped the ball by not continuing to issue daily fines for the stink coming from a local mushroom farm.

Speaking to about 100 people at a public information evening to update residents on the situation with the Hawke's Bay Regional Council and the Te Mata Mushroom Company, regional council chief executive James Palmer revealed the council received 181 public complaints about odour coming from the farm during summer.

"So far, we have received 800 complaints since 2013. It is the single biggest source of complaints to the regional council of any activity.

"We got to a point this summer where we were sending out compliance staff to complaints on almost a daily basis and because of the nature of the odour we were in a situation where we could have had an offence a number of times a week."

Michael Whittaker from Te Mata Mushrooms speaking at a Hawke's Bay Regional Council public meeting for submitters and residents about ongoing issues with Te Mata Mushrooms odours.

That resulted in the council at one point issuing three fines in the space of a week to the company — each worth $1000.

"To me it was a futile exercise for our staff — it's an ongoing offence, it's not a one-off — almost of a daily nature.

"We can spend staff time going out measuring, monitoring and issuing (fines) and this could go on, not only for months, but it could go on for years. It's my judgment that's not in the public interest."

Residents strongly disagreed with that assessment, with one person saying the council had dropped the ball over an issue that should have been dealt with "years ago".

Others voiced the opinion that daily fines would have given the company a "kick up the backside" to ensure odours were stopped.

Mr Palmer said the farm was purchased under existing resource consents and then re-consented, with the owners agreeing to abide by resource consent conditions consented and agreed to by the previous owner.

However, the company disagreed that current consents needed to be adhered to as it had lodged subsequent consents that had not been dealt with. The council was now waiting for guidance from the courts.

Mr Palmer said the information night was an opportunity to inform residents of the current situation from the council's point of view.

Residents living near the farm had been invited by letter but he pointed out that farm owner Michael Whittaker had not been invited to make a presentation, stating that the council did not want to hold a public debate on disagreements between the parties — the correct place for that was in court.

Mr Whittaker told the meeting he was willing to make any information around the saga open to public access.

"We're just as frustrated as anyone else."