Rotten meat causing a stench in Auckland shopping centre car park

Ever wondered what rotten meat smells like? Probably not but a bunch of people in Auckland, New Zealand, involuntarily found out.

This evening a parked car that has been stinking up a shopping centre car park may be towed.

The Honda Domani seems to have been parked at Huia Rd Carpark for the last four weeks, with parking tickets on the car dating back to early May.

And the putrid smell? That comes from the five large packages of rotting meat on the back seat.

Local resident Phil Parker was the first to bring attention to the stench via Neighbourly.co.nz.

He said: "It's like something from CSI - flies buzzing around rotting meat - it's just disgusting."

The car's front window has been smashed in but the vehicle has not been reported stolen. The Auckland Council were contacted by many parties to have the car removed.

Apparently since it has licence plates, a current registration and has a warrant of fitness, it is not eligible for Council intervention as it's not a challenge to road safety or causing obstruction.

"The costs associated with the removal and storage of the vehicle far outweigh the amount we get from the infringement fee and the cost escalates every day the vehicle is stored in the yard," said Mark Hannan, Aukland Transport spokesperson.

"We will continue to monitor the vehicle and we have sent letters to the last registered owner and tonight we are visiting the property it is registered to, to see if we can locate the owner to get him to remove it. If the vehicle is still there at 5pm Friday we will tow it and store it but this will be at a cost to ratepayers."

Until then it is likely the smell will be off-putting to shoppers.

The first question that comes to mind however is, if the window is smashed in, can't someone remove the putrid meat with very little difficulty?

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