Downer New Zealand Limited pleaded guilty to two charges of burning a fire containing prohibited materials in its Omahu Rd yard. Photo / Supplied
Downer New Zealand Limited pleaded guilty to two charges of burning a fire containing prohibited materials in its Omahu Rd yard. Photo / Supplied
Fines of $26,200 have been handed out for three illegal burnings in Hawke's Bay.
Downer New Zealand Ltd on Monday pleaded guilty to two charges of burning a fire containing prohibited materials in its Omahu Rd yard in June, 2020.
The property falls within the Hastings airshed, where outdoor fires are banned over the winter period to control air quality.
The burn pile included a number of prohibited items including painted timber, treated timber, plastic, artificial turf, galvanised wire and particle board.
Judge Melinda Dickey at the Hastings District Court said that Downer NZ should have been aware of the requirements regarding outdoor fires and fined the construction engineering company $14,950.
The company has also contributed an additional $7000 towards marketing HBRC's burning rules.
"The fire permit itself would have had warnings on it that the holder should check with the council on any requirements it might have for fires," Judge Dickey said.
"I find that the company was highly careless with regard to the lighting of this fire and the types of materials that were placed on it."
Angela Marie Payne pleaded guilty to burning an illegal fire in a rubbish pit at her Waipukurau property. Photo / Supplied
In the second case on Monday, Angela Marie Payne pleaded guilty to burning an illegal fire in a rubbish pit at her Waipukurau property in August, 2019 and was fined $11,250.
The Hawke's Bay Regional Council's pollution response team was made aware of a fire on the property on August 19, 2019, and again on August 23, and found the burn pile contained tree branches, an aerosol container, tin cans, metal, a metal chair frame and other items that had burnt.
Other prohibited items in the fire pit from the previous visit included polystyrene, a chest freezer, a microwave oven, metal strapping, oil filled heater and other plastic items.
Burning these prohibited items is associated with nuisance dense smoke and also emissions of hazardous air pollutants known to cause cancer or serious health effects.
The prosecutions are the fifth and sixth successful prosecutions for illegal burning so far this year in Hawke's Bay.
Judge Dickey said while Payne took some steps to prevent a recurrence of the incident on August 19, she did not do enough.
"Everything that was present in the pit from the first fire was still present at the second fire," she said.
Council group manager policy and regulation Katrina Brunton was unapologetic about the tough stance council has taken against prosecuting illegal burning cases.
"There is quite simply no excuse for illegal burning. The rules are in place to protect the health of our community and the environment, and the courts agree with us," she said.
Any member of the public with information regarding unauthorised discharges to land, air or water should contact council's 24/7 Pollution Hotline on 0800108838.
