Almost 10,000 tonnes of hazardous waste from Tiwai Point's aluminium smelter, so-called ouvea premix, was at risk from the flooding in Southland last week.
Gore District Council had said they had managed to reach a handshake deal to get it moved from Mataura to Tiwai Point, but now that agreement has been overruled by Rio Tinto.
RNZ Otago-Southland reporter Timothy Brown has the story.
