An adventure company ordered to pay fines and reparation totalling nearly $150,000 over fatal safety failures after the death of English tourist Emily Jordan is seeking to expand its operation and increase client numbers.
Mad Dog River Boarding has lodged a resource consent application with Lakes Environmental to carry an extra 100 clients daily and extend the stretch of Kawerau River on which it operates.
It currently has consent for 200 clients daily.
The application states the original consent capped the number of customers because of the potential for large numbers of people on the river detracting from the area's "sense of remoteness and isolation".
The view of Southern Planning Group planner Tim Walsh was the river, which runs next to State Highway 6 and has many points where people can access it, was "not particularly remote when compared to other locations in the district".
The company has changed its safety training and practices to fit new national guidelines since the death of Ms Jordan, who drowned after getting caught between submerged rocks while riverboarding with Mad Dog on the Kawarau River on April 29 last year.
Black Sheep Adventures Ltd - Mad Dog's parent company - was fined $66,000 and ordered to pay $80,000 in reparation to Ms Jordan's family after admitting two charges.
The resource consent application stated Mad Dog considered safety of customers, staff and other river users was "essential for the successful operation of their business" and was running its training and qualification programme in accordance with the new Maritime New Zealand riverboarding guidelines, introduced in response to Ms Jordan's death.
The company is waiting for written approvals from Ngai Tahu, the QLDC harbourmaster, Maritime New Zealand, Fish and Game, the New Zealand Transport Agency and Pioneer Generation, which owns the Roaring Meg power station.
All have been identified by Lakes Environmental as affected parties.
