Havelock North residents living near a smelly mushroom farm say they have been let down by both the district and regional councils, which have allowed the farm to get away with breaching its resource consent.
Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
But the owner of the Te Mata Mushroom Company said he also felt like a victim, blaming the councils for tying him up in what he said were "frustratingly slow" consents and court processes.
Kevin and Margaret Williams live 250m from Te Mata Mushrooms on Arataki Road.
"It smells like cow poos, a compost smell, sulpher, really putrid ... and once it comes into the house you can't get rid of it," Mr Williams said.
It had only been in the last five years, when the new owner took over, that the stink became more frequent and worse, the couple said.
Te Mata Mushroom Company owner Michael Whittaker said he was puzzled by the claims.
"Production on this farm hasn't changed for over a decade... The only thing we can think of is that houses have got closer."
He felt let down by Hastings District Council for allowing homes to be built nearby, he said.
Hastings District Council chief executive Ross McLeod disagreed.
"That area was planned for expansion since the early 1990s," he said.
"Up until recent times the mushroom farm and that development co-existed really well."
The onus was on Hawke's Bay Regional Council to prosecute if the odour breached the farm's consent, he said.
In 2016, the farm was prosecuted and fined $15,000 because of the smell.
The company was required to apply for a new resource consent, which it did, but another consent from the district council to expand its operations has been in limbo ever since.
Mr Whittaker said it was taking time to get the experts he needed.
The regional council has had 800 complaints about the farm since 2013, including 180 since 1 December, from a core group of about 25 complainants.
But after issuing $1000 fines almost daily over the summer, its regulation manager Liz Lambert said it would not do so anymore.
Michael Fowler lives near the mushroom farm. Photo: RNZ / Anusha Bradley
Nearby resident Michael Fowler was not happy with that decision.
"There are certain rules put around the mushroom farm and my understanding is they haven't been adhered to," he said.
"The regional council needs to get its act together and sort it out."
Ms Lambert said the council was hopeful the new prosecution laid against the company a few weeks ago would spur it into action.
"There are solutions to the odour issue ... and they've said they are committed to addressing them, but in our view they have not addressed them in a timely manner."
Like his neighbours, Mr Whittaker said he also felt let down by the council, as being tied up in legal action created delays in fixing the problem.
"In February 2015 we said to the regional council ... we believe there are better ways to mitigate more odour and proposed a timeframe to lodge a new consent by October that year,
he said.
"In March they decided to prosecute.
"We're here as a result of the regional council's process, not by any means of our own doing."
Te Mata Mushroooms will appear in the Environment Court next Thursday. If found guilty of breaching its consent it could face a fine of up to $600,000.
