The region's five worst polluters racked up $269,750 in fines last year, with high profile bankrupt Ken Thurston responsible for more than half the total.

Information released to the Manawatu Standard by Horizons Regional Council listed 2010's prosecutions resulting in the highest penalities for consent breaches.

Thurston topped the pollution hall of shame, after his appeal against record fines was quashed by a High Court judge in September.

The fines related to the illegal dumping of effluent onto land in Longburn and Feilding, after Thurston ignored abatement notices to cease discharging the waste.

He was ordered to pay fines totalling $174,250 – the highest fine ever issued in the Resource Management Act's 19-year history. Including court costs and expenses, Thurston was ordered to pay $187,545.16.

Behind Thurston was the Crafar-owned operation Ferry View Farms, which incurred $45,000 in penalties.

Allowing effluent to be pumped on to a paddock on a farm near Bulls resulted in a $40,000 fine in April.

Sharemilker Herman Kibler had 1500 cows on the Crafars' farm, and was also fined $5000 in the Palmerston North District Court.

Judge Craig Thompson said a fountain of effluent was pumped high into the air.

"Not only was the irrigation not operating, it was not even connected."

Kibler, who lives in Napier, did not wish to comment, saying, "it was all over with and I'd rather just let it go."

The Crafars were unable to be reached.

Two piggeries, one in Foxton and one in Marton, both owned by high profile pig farmer Colin Kay, took third and fourth place.

Kay and his company NK were fined $11,750 each for offences relating to the Foxton farm.

Kay incurred a separate $6500 fine, along with business partner Dennis Nitschke who was fined $13,000 at the start of last year.

Both charges related to the illegal discharging of effluent on the pig farm on the outskirts of Marton.

Both Kay and Nitschke were unable to be reached for comment.

A Marton dairy farm owned by Porewa Holdings was ordered to pay a $13,000 fine.

Farm manager Aloysius Weitenberg and his company Weitenburg Holdings were also stung with $3750 each, for illegally taking water from the Rangitikei River.

Weitenberg had been checking river flow levels at a Horizons Regional Council measurement unit at Onepuhi, rather than the Mangaweka unit – as required by the resource consent.

The Onepuhi unit is about 1km away from the farm, and the Mangaweka unit is 60km away.

Weitenberg declined to comment, but Porewa Holdings director Michal McAloon said it was a "one-off mistake, that should never have gotten that far".

Horizons Regional Council chief executive Michael McCartney said the list represented a small amount of people. "The majority of consent holders in the Horizons region are responsible and take pride in their environment, with usually less than 1 per cent of council inspections ending in prosecution. However, there are always a few who spoil it for the rest.

"The prosecutions taken last year were an absolute last resort taken for the highest level of offending, where the effect on the environment was significant."

2010 POLLUTION HALL OF SHAME

1. Kenneth Thurston v Horizons Regional Council. Ordered to pay fines totalling $174,250 and costs of $13,295.16 which were upheld on appeal.

For illegally discharging contaminants on to land in Longburn and Feilding.

2. Ferry View Farms Ltd and Herman Kibler v Horizons Regional Council. Ordered to pay fines of $40,000 and $5000 respectively.

This was a Crafar operation and related to the discharge of dairy farm effluent onto land.

3. Colin Kay and NK Ltd v Horizons Regional Council. Ordered to pay fines totalling $23,500 imposed, plus court costs, for the illegal discharge of piggery effluent onto land.

4. Colin Kay and Dennis Nitschke v Horizons Regional Council. Ordered to pay fines of $6500 and $13,000 respectively, plus court costs, for the illegal discharge of piggery effluent.

5. Porew Holdings Ltd, Weitenberg Holdings Ltd and Aloysius Weitenberg v Horizons Regional Council. Ordered to pay fines of $13,000, $3750 and $3750 respectively, for illegally taking water from the Rangitikei River and ignoring an abatement notice.