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A Timaru company has been fined for discharging an objectionable odour, Canterbury Regional Council says.
Smell complaints had spiked since the beginning of the year in northern Timaru and Washdyke, with 63 complaints received on a single day - January 19.
Timaru locals had described the stench to RNZ as like that of a dead animal or offal.
The council's Zone Delivery Southern Lead Gina Slee said the investigation into the 19 January event was ongoing.
But other, separate complaints from February had been assessed, she said.
"As a result, one company was issued two infringement notices for an alleged acute odour discharge on 26 February."
It was fined $1000 for the discharge and $750 for a breach of an abatement notice.
The company was based in the northern Timaru area, she said.
"Our team continue to investigate reports of odour, and we encourage people affected by offensive or objectionable odour in the Timaru north area to continue using the Smelt-it website (smelt-it.web.app) to report it. We will continue working with consent holders to monitor compliance with air discharge consents."
More information would be released when the 19 January investigation concluded, Slee said.
