The director of a slink skin factory shut down by Environment Southland stripped off his suit jacket, shirt and tie outside the regional council's offices on Monday — and begged for his business back.
Eddie Zhi, sole director of NZAgri Development Ltd, sat over a vehicle entrance at Environment Southland and delivered what he later called a "fantastic" protest. Police were present. Zhi removed an Australian flag from his back along with his clothing, and addressed the council directly.
"I'm going to beg you, okay? If you don't help us, we are f…ed. We are really literally f…ed by you guys. I am so upset," he said.
It was his second visit in four days. A Friday protest had already prompted a letter from the council's lawyer warning of an intention to trespass him. Zhi came back anyway.
Speaking to Local Democracy Reporting on Tuesday, he was unrepentant. "I think the psychological shock to everybody is amazing. People think that I am just a pussycat," he said. "And I have shown them okay, we do not need to be violent, we just need to show how weak, how vulnerable we are."
His stated demand is straightforward: keep his workers employed. "I'm not fighting for myself, I'm fighting for my workers. I have plenty of money, I don't need this s..t," he said. He also told Local Democracy Reporting he had not been trespassed by Environment Southland as of Tuesday.
The protests followed Environment Southland's announcement last week that it had been granted interim enforcement orders against Zhi and his company. Those orders require the cessation of all carcass processing and disposal at the Tuturau plant, south of Gore. Zhi and NZAgri Development Ltd were already facing seven charges from the regional council, including discharge of blood, leachate or contaminants to land where they could have entered water.
Southland District Council has also placed charges and interim enforcement orders against Zhi and the company.
NZAgri Development Ltd was registered in July 2024, with Zhi as its sole director. The business processes dead calves and lambs for their skins.
Zhi has been keeping a broad audience informed of his movements through large group emails to district council addresses, an Environment Southland address, members of parliament, lawyers and media.
Environment Southland declined to comment further.