A company which runs a Bay of Plenty farm, and the farm manager, have together been fined nearly $10,000 and both convicted for burning tyres and other rubbish.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council received complaints from the public about a 100m-high cloud of black smoke coming from the Galatea farm, run by Cool Haven Limited, last November.
The council said tyres, plastic silage wrap, aerosol cans and other rubbish were being burned, releasing toxic, cancer-causing chemicals into the air.
Farm manager Christopher Rugg was convicted and fined $3000 and the company convicted and fined $6000.
Mr Rugg did not know burning tyres was illegal under the Bay of Plenty regional air plan, the council said.
