Fonterra says it has plant odour issue covered
‘‘We have done a risk review across the plant and we understand there will be a couple of areas that have a greater risk of producing odour and those will be covered.’’
Alice Rackham
Fonterra and a rural community appear to be on a collision course over plans to build a new wastewater treatment plant in the Waikato.
The dairy company seemed certain the best place to build a $60 million treatment plant for its Hautapu factory, was next to the factory, on the outskirts of Cambridge.
But those living just a few hundred metres away reckon Fonterra has plenty of other sites it could use further away from residential homes.
The matter is likely to come to a head soon, when it is expected Fonterra will lodge a resource consent application to the Waipa¯ District Council for the wastewater plant.
A community group from Hautapu said it will oppose the plan while the dairy company said it is committed to finding a way to make it work for the factory and those living nearby.
Fonterra met the community group again recently to outline their plan for the plant and to record the concerns of those living near the factory. Odour was the number one issue, especially when people discovered not all of the treatment plant’s tanks could be covered.
Fonterra’s Hautapu environmental manager Alice Rackham, who was at the community meeting, confirmed the company was looking for a consent to build a tankbased system. ‘‘We have done a risk review across the plant and we understand there will be a couple of areas that have a greater risk of producing odour and those will be covered.’’
As for the other areas of the plant, Fonterra said in a statement the design of the plant, and the way it would be operated, would prevent the ‘‘generation of odours in any open tanks and thus the risk of odours causing an issue’’.
‘‘Therefore we, along with technical experts, do not believe there is any added benefit to covering the whole system.’’
Rackham acknowledged the location of the plant was challenged at the community meeting too.
The company had previously promoted its Buxton Farm property as the ideal site
Fonterra’s Hautapu environmental manager
for the plant but opposition from rural residents there forced a rethink.
The factory site was chosen as the next best location because it was already in an industrial zone where developments like treatment plants were allowed to be constructed. It still needed a resource consent though, from the council.
Hautapu community group spokesperson Grant Eynon said it was ‘‘outrageous’’ Fonterra refused to pursue other site options.
He said the company had been a good corporate neighbour, but people living nearby feared foul smells would become the norm.
Eynon said the nearest house to the Buxton Farm site was about 700-800 metres but at the Hautapu factory it was close to 200m.
He believed despite the company’s best efforts, it would never be able to fully guarantee it could eliminate ‘‘disgusting smells on the community’’.
‘‘We are looking forward to the resource consent hearing where we can hold Fonterra to account over their strategy to push through the plant at Hautapu.’’
Eynon said the community group had formed into an incorporated society and was working on some legal representation to help prepare for a hearing. ‘‘What we’re asking is for Fonterra to consider some of the many other locations they have available.’’