Editorial: Fine by NRC is a bit rich

Northland Regional Council has used Stephen Purvis as a warning to all farmers of the consequences of what will happen if they fail to comply in even the most minor respect. This is a bit rich coming from one of our local councils considering Whangarei District Council's long history of sewage and waste water practices.

During 2012 the WDC recorded 27 accidental spills from sewer systems around the Whangarei area and suburbs. Almost all of it was raw and unscreened. (This report can be viewed on the WDC website).

You may remember in 2009 the WDC made an application to discharge 20,000 cubic meters of untreated raw sewage into our local waterways over a five year period.

This was an application to intentionally pollute our environment.

Every time there is wet weather in the region, the local sewage systems can't cope, resulting in polluted waterways, shellfish bans and no swimming.

To bring the article regarding Mr Purvis's prosecution into perspective, the discharge Mr Purvis has been penalised for was an accidental spillage following heavy rain which had washed weed into a sump resulting in a blocked drain.

The "unnamed tributary" was more than two kilometres to the nearest stream and would have been greatly diluted by the time it reached the boundary of the property. The actual effect on the environment is virtually non-existent.

If the NRC can fine a farmer $40,000 for a minor and unintentional transgression, why isn't the WDC held accountable?

It's hard for local councils to gain respect when they model double standards.