New site for Te Mata Mushrooms?

Havelock North's urban spread has led to a battle between residents and Te Mata Mushrooms over odour issues. PHOTO/FILE.

A new Central Hawke's Bay operation is on the cards for Te Mata Mushrooms, which has filed application for a water take for mushroom growing purposes at a site near Waipukurau.

In December the Hawke's Bay Regional Council received the resource consent application to take water for irrigation, compost production and mushroom growing purposes at a site in Mt Herbert Rd, Central Hawke's Bay.

The application requests an increase in the volume of water take for an existing consent, and for a new water permit to take water under high flow conditions which would be stored in a reservoir within the bed of an un-named tributary of the Tukituki River.

The application noted consent was sought to irrigate up to 38ha of pasture and process crops in the area east of Mt Herbert Road, and up to 9ha of apples within the area west of Mt Herbert Road in addition to the 11 ha (west of Mt Herbert Road) already irrigated.

"The 20ha area west of Mt Herbert Road may also be used for pasture and process crops, and while it is proposed to construct a composting and mushroom growing operation on the land east of Mt Herbert road in time, this area will be in pasture or process crops until that time."

Te Mata Mushrooms owner Michael Whittaker has been contacted for comment.

A paper before the regional council's Environment and Services committee this morning noted Te Mata Mushrooms was currently in discussion with Hastings District Council, and "looking at alternative sites for the operation".

It stated phase one was to move the Compositing, with possible relocation to CHB.

In recent years the company's odour issues have led to a battle between it and nearby Havelock North residents, after the urban spread reached the rural area where Te Mata Mushrooms has operated for nearly 50 years.

Last year the Environment Court fined it $15,000 and issued an enforcement order for a new resource consent, which would include conditions addressing odour issues.

Since the Environment Court decision, there have been 320 odour complaints lodged with the Hawke's Bay Regional Council against the company - with 51 since November.

HBRC compliance staff had issued three $1000 infringement notices across just one week in October, before the council decided to suspend enforcement action against the company in light of a stalled resource consent.

In November, the Regional Council laid one charge against the Havelock North company for unlawful discharge, carrying a maximum penalty of a fine of $600,000.

A court hearing was scheduled for December at the Environment Court at Hastings District Court. This was adjourned with a new hearing set down for early March 2018.

Earlier this month hearings finished on designating land for a new location for Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Wananga Whare Tapere o Takitimu.

An alternative location at the former Arataki Camping Ground had been rejected due to odours from Te Mata mushroom farm.