In a move to manage complaints about Levin landfill odours, the district council appears to be spending around $700,000 purchasing the landfill's nearest neighbour.
Property records show the lifestyle block at 645 Hokio Beach Rd sold last month for $703,000, 65 per cent above its $475,000 capital value.
While the records do not currently show Horowhenua District Council as owner, an HDC agenda paper last month said it was "finalising the purchase of the property neighbouring the landfill".
Owned by the Grange family since 1974, the 5.8 hectare property gets hit hard by wind-blown noxious landfill smells.
The family has previously said the smell first became extremely offensive in 2013. In a 2016 landfill consent hearing document, they described the smell as causing nausea, stress and embarrassment, and being unbearable.