A sawmill near Rotorua has been ordered to pay more than $30,000 for exceeding its resource consent to discharge contaminants in the air.
The Mamaku Sawmilling Company in Ngongotaha had its consent to discharge contaminants amended in February last year following complaints about soot.
After further complaints, Bay of Plenty Regional Council brought a prosecution when it found the mill had continued to breach its consent, and an abatement notice that followed the earlier breaches.
In the Tauranga District Court on Friday, Judge J A Smith said the company had spent significant amounts to fix its discharge problems.
But the offences had a significant impact on nearby residents and fined the company $20,000, with another $10,000 to be paid to complainants.
