Far North council gets warning over resource consents

By ANGELA GREGORY

KAIKOHE - The Far North District Council could be prosecuted unless it meets resource consent conditions for a number of problematic landfills and sewage treatment systems.

The Northland Regional Council is putting pressure on the council to meet its responsibilities, or face increased legal action. Some of the sites had already been served with abatement or infringement notices.

The regional council's general manager, Warren MacLennan, sent the district council a list of incidents which showed ongoing non-compliance at six Far North sites. The list had been requested by the new district council manager, Clive Manly.

Mr Manly yesterday provided the Herald with a copy of Mr MacLennan's letter, which outlined the most serious resource consent breaches.

Mr MacLennan said in the letter that the number of incidents was growing, and he was particularly concerned about those which were ongoing and longstanding.

The problem sites were:

* Whangae landfill: lack of cover of refuse, no stormwater separation, and offensive odours. Clear and ongoing breaches of both the resource consent and the district council's own management plan. If conditions were not met, infringement notices or prosecution would follow.

* Kaikohe landfill: although closed, a May inspection found it was still actively used as a dump for vegetation and car bodies, with no stormwater control or leachate collections. An infringement notice had been served.

* Houhora Heads Motor Camp sewage treatment plant: ongoing lack of maintenance. An abatement notice was served on the council last year but, despite some maintenance, the problems had resurfaced.

* Ahipara sewage treatment and disposal system: effluent running into a neighbour's property.

* Hihi sewage treatment plant and discharge: longstanding problems with overflow after heavy rain, often into the Mangonui Harbour.

* Kerikeri sewage treatment system: ongoing offensive odours. District council stalling on agreement to consent conditions.

Mr MacLennan said he wanted a prompt reply on what action was proposed to remedy the ongoing non-compliance.

"Otherwise I will have little choice but to support my staff's recommendations to take enforcement action."

Such action can range from abatement notices, such as legal warnings and requests, to criminal prosecutions.

Mr MacLennan told the Herald yesterday that he was increasing the pressure on the district council to resolve the problems.

He was pleased the district council appeared to be taking the issue seriously, and a follow-up meeting was planned for next week.

Mr Manly said he was not sure why the district council had struggled to address the problems.

Appointed to the council last October, Mr Manly said he was waiting for background reports from his staff.

He said he had asked the regional council to update the situation out of concern that he was not sufficiently aware of the issues.

"We are working through this and are quite happy to get things done."