Federated Farmers wants Environment Southland to ‘stop doing the Government’s dirty work’ with winter grazing regulations

Southland Federated Farmers wants Environment Southland to ‘’make a stand and refuse to do the Government’s dirty work’’ with winter grazing regulations, but the regional council says it is legally obliged to enforce the rules.

The organisation says the rules are ‘’not sensible, practical or necessary’’ and the regional council should continue its educational approach to breaches, rather than issuing abatement notices.

This year for the first time, farmers grazing stock on winter crop need to have a resource consent if they fall outside conditions, including if it is on a slope more than 10 degrees.

The controversial winter grazing rules hit the headlines last week after Environment Southland issued cease and desist notices to five farms, and found issues with 21 others after a fly-over late last month.

One of those is Beef and Lamb NZ southern South Island director Geoffrey Young, although he told Stuff he believes the breach on his farm was ‘’relatively minor.’’

Southland Federated Farmers president Chris Dillon said the small number of issues had largely been rectified and the organisation was working with the regional council for the best outcomes.

“We’ve got 3500 farmers who are all doing their best with grazing, and we’ve had a small number that have had a few problems, but they have been sorted out,’’ he said.

The organisation believed a piece of paper giving permission to undertake essential feeding of stock would not improve environmental outcomes, and council staff should be focusing their efforts on actual negative effects, rather than on technical non-compliance.

Dillon said enforcement undermined the goodwill of farmers who have gone to extraordinary lengths to contribute positively to environmental outcomes.

”The Government has put the council in a bit of a predicament. Over the last few years there’s been a big shift in winter grazing practices and the council had been going down the educational path with farmers. Where we’re coming from is that is far better than an abatement notice,’’ Dillon said.

However, any farmers who were letting mud go into the waterways needed to be held accountable for poor practice and Federated Farmers would not apologise for or make excuses for poor practice.

“The vast majority of farmers are doing the right thing and should not be penalised because of a few,’’ he said.

Environment Southland general manager integrated catchment management Paul Hulse said the regional council was legally required to enforce the rules and to do that it followed a defined process outlined in its enforcement policy.

The council had issued five abatement notices and one infringement notice ($300), for breaches to the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater, so far this season, but four of the notices had been cancelled because the recipients had undertaken appropriate actions to become compliant with the rules.

”While farmers have improved winter grazing practice significantly over the last few years, and we acknowledge the good work they have done, it remains a high risk activity and the Government has determined that rules are required to ensure the risk of discharges of nutrients and sediment is minimised,’’ he said.

The regional council was continuing with business as usual, including providing advice and support, and the monitoring and enforcement of breaches of winter grazing rules under the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater. This may include the issuing of further abatement notices where a breach of the rules has been confirmed, he said.