What to do with 10,000 tonnes of aluminium dross - so-called ouvea premix - stored in Mataura is causing a quandary for authorities, but just as vexing is how it came to be there.
The dross came to attention last month when flooding of the Mataura River threatened to inundate the building it's stored in - potentially sparking a toxic ammonia gas cloud. The liquidation of Taha Asia Pacific - the company which moved it to Mataura in 2016 has left a bad taste in the mouths of many Southlanders, but the company's corporate parent in Bahrain says the situation is just as frustrating for them.
RNZ Otago-Southland reporter Timothy Brown has more.
