Thursday, May 21, 2009



But is it enough?

A Manawatu man has been given a record fine under the RMA for illegally discharging farm effluent onto land, and "meaty smelling" waste into the Manawatu River. Ken Thurston was fined $140,000 for "deliberate and calculated" discharges aimed at saving money. But the question is whether it was enough to outweigh the profits he made from his pollution. And if it wasn't, its neither a punishment or a deterrant, but merely a cost of doing business.