$379,000 fine follows debris damage
A forestry company has been fined $379,500 after forestry debris flooded a small town north of Gisborne.
Hikurangi Forest Farms, now known as Aratu, was handed the fine in the Environment Court in Gisborne on Monday after pleading guilty to discharging contaminants into the environment.
Heavy rain in June 2018 caused flooding in the Tolaga Bay area and carried slash – forestry debris – in its wake, damaging roads and bridges and piling up on farms and in gullies.
At least three houses and stock were lost, bridges were damaged, paddocks were drowned in mud and debris and kilometres of fences were damaged. The cleanup cost $10 million.
The Gisborne District Council prosecuted 10 companies. Hiku- rangi Forest Farms originally entered a not guilty plea to discharging contaminants into the environment in breach of its resource consent.
The company later changed its plea to guilty.
Another forestry company, Juken New Zealand, was prosecuted by the Gisborne District Council and fined $152,000.