West Coast dairy farm inspections down as priorities change
By local democracy reporter Lois Williams:
The West Coast Regional Council is cutting back on the number of visits it makes to dairy farms to check if farmers are doing the right thing by the region’s rivers.
And it says that is because by and large, they are.
The council marks its own card annually against the performance targets it set for the year in areas including environmental monitoring.
A report to next Tuesday’s Assurance and Risk committee by principal planning Officer Stewart Genery notes the council failed to meet all the targets it set itself for regular inspections to check if farmers are complying with their effluent discharge consents.
All ‘significant’ discharges – not just from farming - are supposed to be monitored at least once a year and the council met that target, making 498 field visits, the report found.
But over the last three quarters, it failed to achieve its target of inspecting all dairy farms that operate under permitted activity rules at least bi-annually, depending on the farmer’s compliance record.
The report says the council had reprioritised that work programme.
“Dairy farm visits continue … but as a result of maturing relationships with our dairy farming community and continued performance by that sector we have transitioned away from this work to other higher priority work programmes.”
Although that meant a “not achieved" mark, the result still represented a good outcome for the West Coast community, the report said.
Regional Councillor and farmer Andy Campbell says essentially that means farmers are doing a good job of meeting the conditions of their resource consents.
“Everyone’s pretty compliant these days - the Freshwater Farm Plans the council was working on were the carrot that would have replaced our present stick approach - though that’s now on hold."
The former government’s Freshwater Farm Plan regulations came in under the RMA last August and were to be the central tool for farmers to manage water issues, with rules tailored to specific catchments.
The West Coast Regional Council had completed much of that work including consultation with catchment groups and iwi and was about to embark this year on training certifiers and implementing the first Farm Plans.
But it paused the process in May after the government signalled it wanted to simplify the regulations.
“Under the circumstance it is risky for the council to continue … as any farm plan developed and verified may have to be changed substantially or the entire process could even be potentially redundant,” the council said at the time.
*LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.2% Yes
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46.8% No
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
🚧 Big upgrades are on the way for Haast!
Motorists travelling on SH6 near Haast should be ready for some delays, with $5 million worth of work kicking off on important improvements to the highway.
The Gates of Haast Gorge bridge, which connects the 140km journey between Haast and Wānaka, is a crucial link — especially for locals and visitors heading to the West Coast glaciers.
A bit of patience now for safer, stronger roads ahead! 💛
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