Wine firm to pay $16k for damaging site

A Gibbston wine company was ordered to pay more than $16,000 yesterday after its director had admitted damaging an archaeological site protected by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

Remarkables Wine director Richard Guthrey appeared before Judge Michael Turner in Queenstown District Court for sentence after admitting the company failed to comply with conditions imposed for work at the Gibbston hotel complex between May 1 and 6 last year.

The court was told the company breached a resource consent that stipulated work was signed off by an archaeologist if it involved rubbish pits and stonework.

An archaeologist visited the site and found earthworks under way, damaging 19th century bottles, ceramics and a blacksmith's hammer.

Trust lawyer Tom Gilbert said artefacts were disturbed and damage was caused to the archaeological context of the site.

More than 100 artefacts were found in a spoil heap and the damage was at the higher end of the scale, he said.

Mr Guthrey said he accepted responsibility but there was no real damage to any artefacts, including broken bottles and hammer heads.

Judge Turner said such material was "gold" to an archaeologist, the site was significant for Otago history after the gold rush and the breach was serious.

"As a consequence, the opportunity to accurately prepare analysis of this area was lost forever."

He fined the company $10,000 and ordered payments of $2500 to the prosecution and $3800 for other costs