Post Tuesday, October 22, 2013 • Vol 25, No. 41
21,200 copies weekly in Franklin, incl Waiuku, Pukekohe, Tuakau, Karaka, Waiau Pa and Awhitu
$114,000 fine for Waiuku farmers
The Waikato region has seen its largest ever fine imposed for deliberately discharging dairy effluent to a stream. The stream involved flows directly to the Waikato River. A decision was released lastweek from Auckland District Court Judge Melanie Harland, who convicted Fenwick Farms Limited and fined the company
$114,000. The case concerned events between July and September 2012 at the company’s Waiuku farm. The farm was inspected by Waikato Regional Council staff following a complaint from a member of the public. The council inspectors were staggered to discover an effluent system that had been set up with
Mayor now not coming? Auckland’s embattled Mayor Len Brown has apparently decided not to attend the previously-announced ‘Mayor in the Chair’ session in Pukekohe on Thursday. It is believed the decision is part of a number of events he has cancelled in the past week after a scandal broke out over his two-year affair with a member of a Council advisory committee who he had provided a job reference for. On Monday he decided at the last moment he would not at-
tend an event at an Auckland Primary School as he felt it inappropriate to visit the school with the expected large media contingent that would turn up. The list of Mayoral activities supplied each week to the Post shows this week only four engagements, two of which are telephone calls. Post enquiries to Auckland Council as to why, and whether, the Mayor had ditched his Pukekohe trip for the second time in a few weeks were not answered by deadline.
a pump to deliberately discharge dairy effluent to a stream that flows approximately 3.6 kilometres to the Waikato River, near Port Waikato. The subsequent investigation found that large volumes of effluent had been pumped to the stream on a number of occasions. Other examples of unlawful discharges into the environment were also identified on the property. The company pleaded guilty to seven Resource Management Act charges filed by the council. The council’s investigations manager Patrick Lynch said: “Many effluent prosecutions arise from a degree of negligence, or a want of care. It is unbelievable, in this day and age, that a farmer has been found deliberately discharging raw effluent directly to an open water course. The very high fine imposed clearly reflects the seriousness of this case. “I am sure this is very disappointing for all of those in the farming industry who are striving to achieve positive environmental outcomes.”
Concern after carjacking attempt A Waiuku woman is asking locals to be cautious after she was stopped by what appeared to be roadworkers, who then abused her and PAGE tried to get into her car.
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Next week is AA Awareness Week. One local woman who has been through the hell of alcoholism shares her pain, and her success, as she worked through PAGE the path to a life of recovery and new hope for the future.
They say never work with children or animals, which is something of a tough call when you are covering several calf clubs around the area! Inside this week we’ve got a wrap PAGE of some of the action at the annual rural school events.
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YES, PAINLESS DENTAL CARE The Franklin Dental Centre
Sandspit Road School’s Kaitlin Grace with her lamb Jacob last week. The Post Newspaper visited several local schools as the Calf Club season swung into high gear around the district. Check out all the photos this week!
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tuesday, october 22, 2013 PAGE 1
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