The region’s five worst polluters racked up $269,750 in fines last year, with high profile bankrupt Ken Thurston responsible for more than half the total.

Information released to the Manawatu Standard by Horizons Regional Council listed 2010′s prosecutions resulting in the highest penalities for consent breaches.

Thurston topped the pollution hall of shame, after his appeal against record fines was quashed by a High Court judge in September.

The fines related to the illegal dumping of effluent onto land in Longburn and Feilding, after Thurston ignored abatement notices to cease discharging the waste.

He was ordered to pay fines totalling $174,250 – the highest fine ever issued in the Resource Management Act’s 19-year history. Including court costs and expenses, Thurston was ordered to pay $187,545.16. (Read on …)

Sustainable property developments in the Queenstown Lakes district may be speeded-up by the council next year through an accelerated resource consent process.

Queenstown Lakes District Council senior policy analyst Scott Figenshow said the development of sustainable building practice is a strong factor in the council’s efforts to deliver affordable housing.

”We are looking at what the best one of many sustainable practices is …

”We’re considering what kind of policy to put together, and sustainability is one of those tracks,” Mr Figenshow said.

The New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development has proposed a five-point policy package to Government, local government, the building industry and home users to help improve the performance of the nation’s 1.6 million homes.

One of the policies suggests a fast-tracked ”green tape” resource consent process for more sustainable housing renovations and developments. (Read on …)