Environment Canterbury (the Canterbury Regional Council) has filed an appeal to the High Court against the sentence
imposed by Judge Smith on Steelbro NZ Ltd on November 1, 2006 in the Christchurch District Court for a spill of a large
quantity of diesel that polluted the Heathcote River and killed wild ducks in early 2005. The original sentence required
Steelbro to pay a fine of $10,000, undertake an upgrade of its site to reduce the risk of future spills and reimburse
the Regional Council for $20,000 of the $80,000 in costs it incurred in responding to and cleaning up the spill. The
Regional Council will explain its full reasons for the appeal to the High Court as and when the matter is heard in open
Court.
ENDS