The odour from a wastewater plant comes and goes, but locals say it’s worsened after an equipment breakdown that authorities warn could take years to fix

In a small city across the harbour from New Zealand’s capital, an invisible villain is terrorising locals. It hovers thick and putrid, seeping through windows, tainting laundry and making people retch. “The stench”, as locals call it, can be so odious, people have to dash between their car and house holding their breath, have stopped eating outside and are considering selling their homes to escape.

“It’s like a long-drop [toilet] that’s not well ventilated,” says Anthony Coomer who lives and works in the area. “It’s like the worst baby’s nappy you have ever smelt … and that’s what it is like in your mouth.”