Compost stockpiles run foul of council's district plan

IAIN MCGREGOR/The Press

GIVE IT HEAPS: Andrew McKenzie, of Saltwater Creek, in amongst his piles of unscreened compost from Christchurch green wheelie bins.

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A North Canterbury farmer says he did not know he needed consent to stockpile unscreened Christchurch compost on his land.

Farmer and agricultural contractor Andrew McKenzie, of Saltwater Creek, said yesterday he was about to apply for a resource consent, as required by the Waimakariri District Council.

The council said on Tuesday that the stockpiling was in breach of the district plan, and failure to comply would lead to "enforcement action".

McKenzie said he was unaware that in the plan stockpiling was not allowed within 50 metres of waterways.

He had told Environment Canterbury of the trucks tipping compost on to his paddocks. He said it was not viable to spread the compost yet because it needed screening, and "they were fine with that".

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman has criticised the dumping of compost so close to Saltwater Creek. He said nitrogen could leach from the piles and taint the estuary.

McKenzie made no apology for the dozens of piles of compost from Living Earth's Bromley plant that some residents say steam, stink and breed flies.

Up to eight truckloads of compost have been dumped on his 120-hectare farm every day in recent weeks. The compost comes from green waste collected in Christchurch City Council wheelie bins.

McKenzie said he had not bought the compost but was taking part in a Living Earth trial in which compost would be spread across his property once it had been screened. "We need about 5000 tonnes of that compost for that," he said.

"I'm a big supporter of the whole process of keeping it out of the landfill, but you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't."

The compost had to be screened before application as there was foreign matter in it, including glass, plates, plastic and metal objects, McKenzie said.

The trial was to show how effective compost would be.

- © Fairfax NZ News