Dairy giant Fonterra has been ordered to pay $174,150 after appearing in the Tauranga District Court today.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council brought prosecution against the Fonterra after four failures of the company's wastewater (Whey) irrigation system at Edgecumbe and two overflows of wastewater to the stormwater system at Fonterra's Edgecumbe plant, resulting in pollution entering the Rangitaiki River and other smaller waterways between September 2014 and April 2015.
Fonterra pleaded guilty to the six separate offences, which were offences under the Resource Management Act.
In Judge Smith's written sentencing decision he stated: "It is difficult enough for this Court to impress upon farmers their obligations to comply with the Act for the sake not only of the future of dairying in New Zealand but for the sake of the community. But when Fonterra, who has taken it upon itself to be responsible for improving farm operations through its farm advisors and audit systems for ecological reasons, is found to have failed to invest in such a basic way, this task is made more difficult and this is a significant disappointment to this Court. I hope you will communicate that to the directors and the management team."
"It is most unfortunate that, when this industry was at its height, there was a failure to invest. Now, of course, the difficulty for the company is it is having to make these investments at a time when the returns are not as high. However, the need for the positive environmental outcomes are even more necessary because of the effects of this continuing type of activity."
