All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Ōpōtiki residents frustrated by ongoing bad smell, council probes sources

By Diane McCarthy
Bay of Plenty Times·
5 Mar, 2025 08:59 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Ōpōtiki.  Photo / NZME
Ōpōtiki. Photo / NZME

Ōpōtiki. Photo / NZME

Although one source of odours plaguing Ōpōtiki residents has been located and rectified, there are still complaints about a bad smell in the town.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council regulatory compliance team leader Trudy Richards said an abatement notice had been issued to Whakatōhea Mussels (Opotiki) Ltd for breaching its consent in relation to wastewater quality discharge limits.

The notice required the mussel factory to cease exceeding the consented limits immediately.

“This is an ongoing investigation, however, and further enforcement action is possible,” Richards said.

All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Since December 18, there had been 32 odour-related complaints concerning the Ōpōtiki area, 25 of them during February. Almost half had been directed at the Whakatōhea Mussels factory.

 Whakatōhea Mussels factory in Ōpōtiki.
Whakatōhea Mussels factory in Ōpōtiki.

A trade wastewater treatment tank at the mussel factory had been identified by the regional council as one odour source.

Richards said on February 24, a compliance officer visited the factory to assess the remedial works completed on the wastewater treatment tank. The system was functioning correctly and new deodorising equipment had been installed.

However, the factory was still being included in investigations.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The rules within the regional council’s Regional Natural Resources Plan, which manages odour, state it should not be offensive or objectionable beyond the property boundary.

“During the assessment, odour levels directly over the treatment tanks were found to be minor,” Richards said.

However, foul odours were still being experienced in Ōpōtiki.

An open letter directed to the regional council was posted on Facebook community pages on Tuesday morning saying the odour problem persisted.

“To be frank, this is beyond a joke.

“The situation has gone on for far too long, and it’s unacceptable that our community continues to suffer due to the lack of effective action,” community page administrator Maude Maxwell said.

 The Duke Street stormwater drain, which runs past the Ōpōtiki Cemetery, has been mentioned by some residents as a possible source of odour, which could be caused by stagnation due to low rainfall. Photo / Diane McCarthy
The Duke Street stormwater drain, which runs past the Ōpōtiki Cemetery, has been mentioned by some residents as a possible source of odour, which could be caused by stagnation due to low rainfall. Photo / Diane McCarthy

She demanded the regional council take the matter seriously.

Immediate actions were needed to investigate the source of the odour, implement measures to mitigate the issue and provide a plan to prevent future occurrences. She also expressed fears that there could be pollution seeping into the town’s rivers causing further environmental issues.

She described the odour as “a sickening smell like dead carcasses”.

The post received 62 comments from local people affirming the smell persisted before commenting was turned off.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Richards said other complaints had been directed towards smokey fires, the wastewater treatment plant ponds, and the town’s stormwater drainage network, which has experienced minor blockages and stagnant water due to prolonged dry weather.

Discover more

  • ‘Horrendous’: Ōpōtiki hit by wave of foul odour complaints...
  • Overnight fire in Ōpōtiki spreads through two commercial ...
  • Homicide: Violent gang fight in Ōpōtiki leaves one ...
  • Ōpōtiki harbour walls open to the public

“However, substantiating these odours has been challenging due to the intermittent nature of the notifications and odours and varying locations of the alleged sources.”

Proactive monitoring was also being carried out in the evenings this week.

“We acknowledge that Whakatohea Mussels is responsible for some of the odour complaints. However, due to the variability in the origin of complaints and wind conditions, we are aware that there are other sources contributing to the issue as well,” she said.

Ōpōtiki District Council service and delivery group manager Nathan Hughes said staff were working with the regional council around the ongoing complaints.

“Council have been monitoring our wastewater system and no issues have been picked up. During extended periods of dry weather, stormwater drains can start to produce a smell and staff are also exploring that as a potential contributing factor.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“Although nothing definitive has been observed in council’s stormwater network we do have a particular concern around the condition of Duke St drain and the smell coming from it.”

 Whakatōhea Mussels factory in Ōpōtiki.
Whakatōhea Mussels factory in Ōpōtiki.

District council staff were meeting with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and the mussel factory this week to discuss the matter.

“Getting these odour issues resolved is important to our community and we’re doing all that we can to assist Bay of Plenty Regional Council in their investigations as well as seeking out any areas that we control which may be contributing,” Hughes said.

Richards encouraged anyone noticing an offensive odour to call the 24/7 Pollution Hotline on 0800 884 883 at the time of the event.

“This allows us to respond promptly and investigate all complaints against the conditions at the time. We can’t have staff everywhere, all of the time, so we count on the community to help resolve these issues.”

Whakatōhea Mussels has been approached for a comment.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua council takes back control of parking services

09 Jul 09:40 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

The amalgamation debate: Mayor claims 'no one’s prepared to act'

09 Jul 09:20 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

'Exemplar for the country': Historic iwi agreement reshapes water use

09 Jul 09:14 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
Child missing in Whanganui – police appeal for sightings
Whanganui Chronicle

Child missing in Whanganui – police appeal for sightings

10 Jul 12:05 AM
Ruby Tui earns Black Ferns recall for final test before World Cup
Black Ferns

Ruby Tui earns Black Ferns recall for final test before World Cup

10 Jul 12:04 AM
Number of Kiwis leaving for Oz in 2024 highest in more than a decade
Business

Number of Kiwis leaving for Oz in 2024 highest in more than a decade

10 Jul 12:01 AM
Drive-through sushi restaurant opens at former Hastings gas station site
Hawkes Bay Today

Drive-through sushi restaurant opens at former Hastings gas station site

10 Jul 12:00 AM
Why $450k costs award in sand mining case is back in court spotlight
Northern Advocate

Why $450k costs award in sand mining case is back in court spotlight

10 Jul 12:00 AM

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua council takes back control of parking services

Rotorua council takes back control of parking services

09 Jul 09:40 PM

The decision ends the fully outsourced parking model introduced in mid-2018.

The amalgamation debate: Mayor claims 'no one’s prepared to act'

The amalgamation debate: Mayor claims 'no one’s prepared to act'

09 Jul 09:20 PM
'Exemplar for the country': Historic iwi agreement reshapes water use

'Exemplar for the country': Historic iwi agreement reshapes water use

09 Jul 09:14 PM
'Dying needlessly': Iwi monitors call for action on low cancer screening rates

'Dying needlessly': Iwi monitors call for action on low cancer screening rates

09 Jul 09:08 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search