Mushroom grower says water inquiry raises questions about future land use

Te Mata Mushrooms was not implicated in last August's gastro outbreak, but its previous activities showed how vulnerable the aquifer beneath the Brookvale bores is.

Te Mata Mushrooms owner Michael Whittaker says he is relieved that the source of the Havelock North water contamination has been found, and that despite "rumour and innuendo" was not linked to the mushroom farm.

At the time of last year's outbreak, the business came under the spotlight because of its proximity to the Brookvale bores, and the Hastings District Council's release of a draft report implicating it in another contamination event at Anderson Park in 2013.

At that time suspicions were raised that earthworks carried out at Te Mata Mushrooms near Bore 3 could have penetrated the aquitard that was thin or fragile in the area, leaving the area vulnerable to contaminated water entering the aquifer.

The earthworks were later discounted as being related to the 2013 event, but the inquiry was critical that the Hastings District Council did not investigate the impact of the earthworks further or contact the regional council about the matter.

In October 2015, earthworks at Te Mata Mushrooms were implicated in another contamination at Brookvale bore 3, which the inquiry said should have led the district council to conduct an urgent and robust investigation of all relevant matters pertaining to that property.

Mr Whittaker said the earthworks that were carried out were only one metre deep, and as such had future implications for land use.

"If earthworks like this could affect the aquitard what happens when an apple grower wants to put in a strainer post, or Unison put in a power pole, or an orchardist digs a drain?

"Now that we know this risks penetrating the aquitard, all those allowable activities could potentially be contamination sources."

As such, he said the land use around the Brookvale bores was up for significant change.

"What the inquiry's report highlighted was that a lot of work will need to be done around the impact of land use."

It raised questions over whether the likes of sheep should continue to be allowed to graze in areas such as Brookvale, and the issue was one that would be faced both in Hawke's Bay and around the country, he said.

"The report has come up with some answers that the public wanted but also a lot of questions around land use, and all stakeholders will have to be part of those discussions - from landowners to councils."