Waihī Logging Company Fined $112,500 for Stream Pollution and Environmental Breaches

A logging company in Waihī, New Zealand, has been fined $112,500 for causing significant environmental damage through sediment and erosion control failures over a period of more than a year. The company, Seaview Logging Limited, and its director, Graeme Howard Savill, were found guilty of breaching national environmental standards and sentenced by the Environment and District Court in Huntly.

The case has drawn attention from environmental regulators and highlights the serious consequences of neglecting environmental protections in forestry operations. The fine, issued in April 2025, follows a series of inspections by the Waikato Regional Council that found repeated failures in controlling sediment and erosion at the site.

According to court records, the first inspection took place on October 6, 2022, at an 18-hectare plantation on Thorn Rd, Waihī. The council identified several violations of the National Environmental Standard for Plantation Forestry, including inadequate stormwater management, exposed and unstabilized soil areas, and ineffective erosion control measures.

Over the course of 2022 and 2023, six inspections were conducted, each uncovering similar deficiencies. Despite multiple abatement notices, the company did not take corrective action, and the environmental damage persisted. The court found that the company’s actions were deliberate and sustained, with Judge Lauren Semple describing the behavior as “highly careless, bordering on reckless.”

“Rather than work with the council to ensure that appropriate sediment and erosion control measures were put in place and appropriately maintained, Mr. Savill determined that such measures were unnecessary or could be undertaken in a perfunctory manner or at a later date,” the judge wrote in her sentencing indication.

Evan Billington, the acting regional compliance manager at the Waikato Regional Council, emphasized the importance of protecting the Waitaheke Stream, which was severely impacted by the lack of proper sediment and erosion control. He noted that the effects of such negligence on waterways are well understood within the industry.

“The harvest and earthworks management was done very poorly, with Mr. Savill failing to take his responsibilities seriously, despite the intervention of council officers,” Billington said.

The case serves as a stark reminder of the need for strict adherence to environmental standards in the forestry sector. It also underscores the importance of regulatory oversight in preventing long-term damage to natural ecosystems.

Environmental groups have welcomed the fine as a necessary step toward holding companies accountable for their impact on the environment. However, they have also called for stronger enforcement measures and increased penalties for repeat offenders.

With the appeal of the fine now abandoned, the original sentence stands, marking a significant legal and environmental milestone in the region.