Effluent compliance improving

The dairy sector is closely watched for its environmental footprint as it grows in areas not traditionally exposed to this land use.

The Feds in this press release emphasise that the amount of significant non compliance is minimal, but is still close to 10% and those farmers behaviour is damaging to all in the industry and should not be tolerated.

Often the huge costs driven by a bureaucracy in the consent system has been used as an excuse for instant improvement, but with excellent returns from this sector, investment must be priortised in this direction.

It is pleasing to see good attendance at effluent fieldays, as a user pay system and education will be the key to achieving improvements to an acceptable level.

The environmental damage caused by raw effluent being pumped into Christchurch's waterways as a result of the earthquake, and the Rena's oil contaminating beaches in the Bay of Plenty, used by the farmers organisation to highlight other sectors mistakes should not  lessen the pressure to conform in this sensitive area.

Federated Farmers is celebrating a much improved working relationship with Environment Canterbury, which sees 90.3 percent of the region’s dairy farms not harming the environment.

“The 2010/11 monitoring is a pleasing result for our Canterbury members. It is welcome good news given events near where I farm with the Rena,” says Robin Barkla, Federated Farmers Vice-President and a Whakatane dairy farmer.

“It says a lot that yesterday well over 200 dairy farmers were at the Lincoln dairy fielday. Environment Canterbury not only announced the 2010/11 results but were openly discussing with farmers how to better manage effluent.

"With 99.56 percent of Canterbury’s 921 dairy farms being randomly inspected last season, this is a comprehensive environmental picture. Not only that, but these inspections are carried out under user-pays principals. “I’d like to think that environmental transparency is a good thing. What these results tells me is that 90.3 percent of Canterbury’s dairy farms did not pose a threat to the environment last season.

“It’s satisfying to see 65 percent of dairy farms fully compliant, but you also need to take into account the rate of minor non-compliance. Although minor non-compliance is a breach, it is a technical one posing no environmental risk. Usually, it relates to things like paper work.

“Federated Farmers main focus has always been on the rate of significant non-compliance. That is where environmental harm comes from. While the rate has crept up slightly, the fact is our Canterbury members are light years away from the season when one in five were significantly non-compliant. Those days are gone. “Modern dairy farming is hugely complex and Canterbury’s 921 dairy farms operate under 10,137 consent conditions. The sterling result is that 9,630 consent conditions are fully complied with,” Mr Barkla concluded.

The Canterbury Regions Dairy Environmental compliance report was released by Environment Canterbury for the past season and full details can be found here ».

Environment Canterbury has released the Canterbury Region Dairy Report for the 2010/2011 season which provides commentary and regional details that expand on the preliminary compliance figures released in July.

Sixty-five per cent of Canterbury dairy farms were fully compliant with their effluent discharge consent or permitted activity conditions in 2010/2011, an improvement from 59 per cent compliance in the previous season. In total 917 dairy farms (out of 921) received a consent compliance visit by an Environment Canterbury Resource Management Officer.

The rate of minor non-compliance among dairy farmers fell to 26 per cent, from 33 per cent last year. Examples of minor non-compliance include an incomplete management plan or minor ponding of dairy effluent. The rate of significant non-compliance was 9.7 per cent compared with 8.4 per cent last season, but just two years ago was at 19 per cent.