Waihi Dam hearing adjourned

A hearing for two parties charged in relation to the works carried out on the Waihi Dam and the subsequent discharge of silt into the Waihi and Waiau Rivers has been adjourned until next month.

Two parties have been charged with four alleged offences arising out of contamination of the Waihi River between December 2015 and February 2016. Each party will face charges of disturbance of a bed of a lake or river [under Section 13[1][b] of the Resource Management Act] and The discharge of contaminants into water [under section 15[1][a] of the Resource Management Act].

The matter was to be heard in the Wairoa District Court on Thursday, but has been adjourned without plea until August 4^th in the Wairoa District Court. Both defendants will be given the opportunity to enter a plea on that date, when a date for a defended hearing or sentencing will also be assigned.

Both defendants have indicated they will not be seeking name suppression, so HBRC can now name the two parties charged – they are Eastland Networks Limited and Abyss Limited.

Quite separate from the prosecution, HBRC is continuing to work with the Eastland Group to refine and adapt its current resource consent and the operation of the Waihi Dam itself to ensure it meets current day best practice.

HBRC is not in a position to make any further comment as the matter is now before the Court.

25 August 2016

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