Firm slapped with big fine
A South Waikato contracting company has been slapped with a $19,000 fine for carrying out illegal earthworks.
The excavation work occurred on a property in the small farming community of Okoroire, minutes from Tirau.
The charges against Peter Goodwin Excavating Ltd included excavating a watercourse and carrying out earthworks without erosion and sediment controls in breach of the Resource Management Act.
The case, brought by Waikato Regional Council, related to earthworks and excavating the bed of a stream of the Waihou River between June and September 2013. The stream in question flows into the upper Waihou River, which is a high-quality habitat.
The owner of the excavating company, Peter Goodwin, said he did not agree with the sentence and is considering his legal options.
‘‘I don’t agree and the community doesn’t agree with the actions of the regional council and the way they went about bringing this prosecution,’’ he said.
Goodwin’s Putaruru-based company was engaged to carry out works in a gully system above the tributary. ‘‘We were doing work to improve the environment. The issue is around the definitions of drain and river. There needs to be more education given to farmers about this,’’ Goodwin said.
The regional council was notified by a member of the public who was concerned with the apparent damage being done. When regional council officers inspected the property, they found the stream and the surrounding area had been excavated for approximately 1500 metres above the Waihou River, causing significant damage and erosion.
There was also evidence that a large volume of soil and sediment had been discharged during the works into the stream. During the subsequent council investigation, Goodwin said he did not consider the waterways to be streams and referred to them as ‘‘drains’’.
He stated that the works were ‘‘consistent with normal farm practices’’. However, the council’s investigations manager, Patrick Lynch, said: ‘‘Unfortunately, we have had a number of cases in the Waikato where a few earthworks contractors have disregarded their own industry guidelines as well as environmental regulations.
‘‘The courts continue to send a clear message to this sector that they need to play their part in managing our natural resources appropriately and sustainably.’’
The announcement of the fine follows the final hearing of the case last week in the Rotorua District Court before Judge C J Thompson.