Waimana farmer fined $12,000+ for breach

 
For immediate release: Thursday 17 September 2009
 

A Waimana dairy farmer has been fined more than $12,000 plus court and legal costs for a dairy effluent discharge breach under the Resource Management Act (RMA) in the Environment Court this week.

Environment Bay of Plenty brought the case against Waimana dairy farmer, John Alexander Wilson, following a visit to the Hodges Road property.

The sharemilker pleaded guilty to a charge of discharging dairy effluent from an irrigator in circumstances which may have resulted in that effluent entering water in a drain. He was fined $12,229.16 and ordered to pay court and legal costs of $243.

The illegal discharge was caused by a broken irrigation line and ponded effluent from an irrigator that had been operating in the same place for a number of days.  This situation resulted in the discharge entering the spring-fed Matatere Stream, which flows to the Waimana River, which ultimately flows into the Whakatane River.

The Matatere Stream is upstream of Wardlaw Glade, which is listed in the Regional Water and Land Plan as one of 24 major bathing areas in the Bay of Plenty.

Dairy wastewater is extremely high in organic matter and nutrients and bacteria, which can affect waterways.

This case was the fifth prosecution from just one season’s monitoring. Environment Bay of Plenty Chairman John Cronin said it was extremely disappointing to take enforcement action against so many farmers. He urged them to better manage their effluent systems to avoid such breaches and the consequent effects on the environment and community.

ENDS.

© Scoop Media