“Just stop pooing”

Stuff reports:

At a November Hutt City Council meeting, Mayor Campbell Barry asked if there was anything that could be done about the stink before thousands of young people descended on Hutt Park for the Juicy Festmusic festival on January 5. The event is set to be headlined by T-Pain and Ashanti.

Residents could “stop pooing”, strategic advisor Bruce Hodgins told councillors.

I would have thought that the impact on local residents should be of paramount concern.

“Sometimes I’ve felt close to vomiting. You can’t escape when it’s in your home. It gets hot, but you can’t open a window.”

She said children at local schools were having trouble concentrating.

“Finally, it’s summer and the kids can get outside, but when they do, everyone is gagging.”

Jaysen Eveleigh of Auto Despatch previously​ said the stench had become a health and safety issue.

“It smells like a portaloo after a three-day festival. I have staff who won’t eat lunch in our building.”

A pity perhaps the plant isn’t by the town hall. I suspect it would be remedied in days.

It was revealed in November that Greater Wellington Regional Council had issued $7250 in fines in the last three years as a result of the plant breaching resource consent conditions with the stench. …

Kylie Hood said the fines hadn’t seemed to stop the problem and an independent voice was needed.

“They just continually breach their consent and there are no consequences, except for the fines which are picked up by the ratepayers.”

Fines only real work as an incentive when you have to pay the fine yourself, rather than have ratepayers do it.