Michael John Booth and his company Booth Developments Ltd came before the Dunedin District Court this week, where they pleaded guilty to discharging contaminants into the air.
When Otago Regional Council compliance officers turned up at his Paterson Rd site on October 4, they found the defendant burning prohibited items including mattresses, paint cans, plastics, treated timber and rubber, along with the slash he had been clearing to make way for a residential subdivision.
They had been there just over six months earlier because of another illicit blaze and gave Booth educational material and copies of the relevant rules.
The man admitted he had not read the information and had deliberately lit the more recent fire, aware of its unlawful nature.
"[They] did explain a bit to me about keeping the smoke on your own property and blah-blah-blah," Booth said when interviewed.
The court heard compliance officers had been on the way to another job in Mosgiel when they saw smoke drifting across homes and the Wingatui Racecourse, considering it "both offensive and objectionable".
Booth immediately said he knew why they were present and admitted allowing neighbours to throw household waste on to the burn pile.
He told them he had used kerosene as an accelerant, which meant there was "a big whoof of black smoke".
At the request of the officers, Booth put out the fire using an excavator.
There had also been complaints about a fire he started in 2020 and the regional council sent him a warning letter.
Booth said he never received the correspondence.
"As is often the case, there is no evidence of any immediate health and wellbeing effects. However, that’s not the point," Judge Brian Dwyer said.
It was the "insidious cumulative effects".
Court documents explained the possible issues.
"An outdoor fire comprised of metals, plastics, paint and other synthetic materials will emit dioxins and other toxic chemicals," it said.
"Even small amounts of these toxins are considered dangerous. Short-term exposure of humans to high levels of dioxins may result in skin lesions ... patchy darkening of the skin and altered liver function."
Booth and his company were fined a total of $18,750.
