Mercer Mushrooms, one of the largest New Zealand mushroom producers, has applied for consent to build an on-site composting facility, but the Waikato District Council has already received a petition from locals railing against it.
Mercer Mushrooms has been in standby mode since the MPI prohibited it from importing compost from overseas as it contained traces of horse and chicken manure. About 90 percent of those living in the 30 to 40 surrounding houses -within a two kilometre radius- have signed a petition against the proposed facility.
Selwyn Taylor, who lives across the road from the site, is worried about the smell from chicken manure and chemicals he worries could be toxic. Mercer Mushrooms chief executive Dave Hyland is aware residents are unhappy about the proposal. But the farm has been a composting site for the past 20 years, he said. And high-end technology would be used to process the compost.
The Waikato District Council is aware of concerns, general manager of customer support Sue O'Gorman said in a statement. Most of the composting would take place inside sealed structures and buildings to ensure the smell was contained, she said. "We are currently assessing the proposal in relation to environmental effects and affected persons. This process is reliant on receiving further information from the applicant as requested by council."
Source: stuff.co.nz
