Bad smell in Mount Maunganui caused by smouldering grain, regional council says

The cause of a burning smell pervading Mount Maunganui since the weekend has been identified.

The cause of a burning smell pervading Mount Maunganui since the weekend has been identified.

A Bay of Plenty Regional Council spokesperson told the Bay of Plenty Times the smell was caused by a large, smouldering stockpile of dried distillers’ grain at bulk storage facility in the Mount Maunganui industrial area.

The council initially said, via social media, that it was a pile of tapioca but after an update from the company involved confirmed it was grain.

“A full fire did not occur,” the regional council spokesperson said.

“Excessive heat led to the dried distiller’s grain starting to smoulder. However, it was able to be controlled by spreading and cooling the grain.”

The spokesperson said excessive heat “can be generated by large stockpiles of organic matter, similar to a compost heap”.

The council said in a social media post today the odour was caused by “smouldering tapioca” in a storage shed.

“The company is making every effort to cool it down and stop the smell but we understand it’s still really smelly.”

The council said it had issued an abatement notice to the company responsible and would keep monitoring the situation.

A council spokesperson said the abatement notice was still within a 15-working-day appeal period.

Locals rang the council’s pollution hotline and took to social media over the weekend to complain about the smell.

“It’s been like it all day. This morning I thought my garage ceiling was on fire,” said one.

A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman said crews were called to a premises in Mount Maunganui at 4.17am on Saturday.

“Crews investigated and left the scene in the hands of the building owner.”