Barker’s, the jam and juice producer, plans to accelerate draining its controversial storage ponds by resuming wastewater discharge onto adjacent conservation land, following neighbour complaints over odours.
It has committed $60 million to an expansion featuring a new factory that will ultimately double annual capacity to 28,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables.
The company plans to operate a three-site discharge system for factory wastewater temporarily until the storage ponds are emptied, then transition to a two-site setup.
To achieve this, the company has reapplied to the Department of Conservation (DOC) for a short-term consent to discharge onto six hectares at Hae Hae Te Moana River Conservation Reserve after the previous permit expired without renewal.
Current resource consents permit irrigating wastewater from the ponds onto sections of the main farm and the reserve, but DOC approval is required specifically for reserve land.
Barker’s was forced to store factory wastewater in the ponds after the concession was revoked last year, which caused the odour issues.
The pond contents are also being removed by truck off-site, but this method is considered too time-consuming and expensive.
Barker’s has secured a new consent from Environment Canterbury (ECan) to apply wastewater across 14.5 hectares of adjacent land at Pleasant Valley.
A new irrigation system, nearing completion, will directly apply fruit and vegetable pulp, juice spillage, and wash water from the processing factory onto the new land, bypassing the ponds.
Chief executive Agnes Baekelandt stated that Barker’s has made substantial investments in environmental compliance to maintain and expand operations in South Canterbury.
She noted complaints from a handful of neighbours, stressing that minimising impacts on both neighbours and the environment remain “paramount.”