The Environment Court is continuing to mediate the efforts of New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Ltd and the Environmental Defence Society to resolve the Matarua Mill ouvea premix storage issue.

Judge Lawrie Newhook has today issued a minute to the media advising that the finalisation of “several necessary contracts is imminent, considerable progress having been made in the last week”.

Judge Newhook said the logistical arrangements to remove the ouvea premix from the site are “now in hand”.

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Today’s confidential telephone conference was the sixth between the court and the parties since September 28.

Judge Newhook repeated earlier advice that the parties remained focused on the urgency of the situation, and were acting “constructively and with expedition”.

The parties expected that the material would be removed from Mataura before Christmas, weather permitting.

A further electronic conference would be held on Thursday, November 12, when the judge wants to hear more about the removal contracts.

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The ouvea premix belonged to a company called Taha Asia Pacific, now in liquidation.

It had created the ouvea premix, a fertiliser product, from dross produced during the smelting process at the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter.

However, since the company went into liquidation in 2017, no-one has wanted to take responsibility or ownership of the hazardous material. It has been at the mill site for several years.

The Environmental Defence Society brought an action in the Environment Court this year against New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Ltd, seeking a declaration about responsibility for cleaning up the Mataura Mill site.

The Minister for the Environment is also involved in the case.