A Christchurch fisheries company has been fined $20,000 after pleading guilty to discharging a contaminant into Lyttelton Harbour. The case was heard in the Christchurch District Court last month. (Read on …)

Oil giant BP has been fined more than $60m after breaching environmental regulations in the US leading to the death of 15 people. (Read on …)

A Manawatu businessman’s “blatant disregard of the environment” has earned him more than $180,000 in fines under the Resource Management Act. (Read on …)

Greater Wellington is prosecuting Reid’s Piggery owners Noel and Elaine Reid and manager Stephen Shivas following an incident in which pig effluent entered an unnamed tributary of the Parkvale Stream. (Read on …)

Queensland

December 2008

Penalty Unit Increase

On 1 December 2008, the Penalties and Sentences and Other Acts Amendment Act 2008 (Qld) was assented to amend the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992 (Qld) to increase penalty units in Queensland all offences (other than offences under local laws).

Examples of the effect of the increase in the value of a penalty unit are set out below. (Read on …)

EPA Victoria has fined one of Australia’s largest earth moving companies for dumping a large quantity of acid sulfate soils on a site in Melbourne’s western suburbs. (Read on …)

Greater Wellington is prosecuting Wairarapa landowner Selwyn McLachlan and farm manager Matthew Honeysett following an incident in which dairy effluent entered a tributary of the Ruamahanga River behind Gordon Street, Masterton. (Read on …)

Greater Wellington has asked Exide Technologies Ltd to provide lead to air discharge monitoring results from its Petone battery recycling plant after an explosion there last Friday. (Read on …)