Daiken New Zealand has pleaded guilty in the Christchurch District Court to a charge relating to a spill into Saltwater Creek last year by the company.
The Sefton company pleaded guilty early last month.
The charge was laid by Environment Canterbury (ECan) after the regional council's investigation into the September 1, 2023, spill, and its impact on shellfish gathering in Saltwater Creek and the Ashley/Rakahuri River estuary.
‘‘A discharge of a contaminant in this manner is a strict liability offence, meaning a defendant will be liable even where the discharge was an accident, except in a few restricted circumstances which can be found in the Resource Management Act 1991,’’ an ECan spokesperson said.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of a $600,000 fine.
‘‘The matter will now go to restorative justice, with Daiken likely to be sentenced on 14 March 2025,’’ the spokesperson said.
