The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

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 / The Country

Company that discharged ammonia near where hundreds of eels found dead denies releasing gas into air

Kurt Bayer
By Kurt Bayer
South Island Head of News·NZ Herald·
18 Dec, 2018 08:32 PMQuick Read

Subscribe to listen

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

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Nearly 2000 native eels were found dead along a 4km stretch of Belfast's Kaputone Creek, on the northern fringe of Christchurch, in April this year.

Nearly 2000 native eels were found dead along a 4km stretch of Belfast's Kaputone Creek, on the northern fringe of Christchurch, in April this year.

A nationwide shipping and cold-storage company that has admitted discharging ammonia near a Canterbury creek where hundreds of eels were found dead has today denied releasing ammonia gas into the air.

Nearly 2000 native eels were found dead along a 4km stretch of Belfast's Kaputone Creek, on the northern fringe of Christchurch, in April this year.

Environment Canterbury pursued charges under the Resource Management Act 1991 against Hastings-based Polarcold Stores Ltd - a nationwide cold-storage company - for illegally discharging a contaminant nearby on or about April 3.

The company earlier pleaded guilty at Christchurch District Court to discharging ammonia-contaminated water on to land near the stream.

However, the summary of facts has not yet been agreed on and it is not known if the company was responsible for causing the deaths of the eels. It could face a financial penalty of up to $600,000.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

This morning, the company entered a not guilty plea in relation to a charge of releasing ammonia gas into the air.

Judge Jane Borthwick remanded Polarcold Stores to a case management review hearing on February 20.

Discover more

Dunedin police led on literal goose chase

19 Dec 07:28 PM
Save
    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

'This is the most useful day I've spent in years': Positive reception for good 'yarn' event

The Country

The Country: TB on Jeremy Clarkson's farm

OpinionJacqueline Rowarth

Dr Jacqueline Rowarth: Is bureaucracy slowing innovation in NZ farming?


Sponsored

Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

'This is the most useful day I've spent in years': Positive reception for good 'yarn' event
The Country

'This is the most useful day I've spent in years': Positive reception for good 'yarn' event

A land-use workshop at Ngātapa provides 'real' and 'relevant' conversations.

05 Aug 03:32 AM
The Country: TB on Jeremy Clarkson's farm
The Country

The Country: TB on Jeremy Clarkson's farm

05 Aug 01:41 AM
Dr Jacqueline Rowarth: Is bureaucracy slowing innovation in NZ farming?
Jacqueline Rowarth
OpinionJacqueline Rowarth

Dr Jacqueline Rowarth: Is bureaucracy slowing innovation in NZ farming?

05 Aug 01:39 AM


Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’
Sponsored

Revealed: The night driving ‘red flag’

04 Aug 11:37 PM
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
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • 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
TOP