Chronophonium Limited has been fined $5,000 for staging a music festival without the proper consents in January of this year.

The organisers were also fined for ignoring a noise abatement order issued by the Thames-Coromandel District Council during the three-day festival which was staged in January of this year.

Organisers Petra and Carl Naus appeared in the Auckland District Court last week and pleaded guilty to the charges.

Both were discharged without conviction and ordered to pay fines of $1,000 and $500 respectively towards the costs of prosecution.

Auckland District Court Judge Melanie Harland wrote in her judgment that it was Chronophonium's responsibility to ensure it complied with council's District Plan and it 'failed to do so in respect of noise”.

'There is a need for such conduct to be denounced and for a fine to send a deterrent message not only to this company and those associated with it but to others organising festivals such as these.

'It is entirely appropriate for the Council to decide to take this prosecution to send that particular message.”

Community Environment operations manager Barry Smedts says council welcome events, but they want to make sure they are held safely and without undue disturbance to neighbours.

'If you are planning an event make sure you engage appropriate professionals to work closely with council,” says Barry, 'to ensure you have appropriate approvals around the event and make sure your traffic management plans, security and food licences and the like are in place.”