The dairy industry and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council have adopted the shared goal to achieve 100% compliance with all
resource consents, and are 80% towards the goal, celebrated at the Dairy Compliance Awards.
The Dairy Compliance Awards recognise Hawke’s Bay dairy farmers who consistently achieve full compliance with their
resource consents.
This is the eighth year of the Dairy Awards, covering water takes, farm dairy effluent and air discharge consents.
Over the years, overall compliance has improved from 71% in 2012-13 to 80% in 2019-20.
At Thursday’s event, 38 of 75 farms had been fully compliant for five years. Fourteen farms have been fully compliant
since the scheme began in 2008-09. Three farms were recognised at the Silver 4-year level.
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council policy and regulation group manager Katrina Brunton congratulated each of the awarded dairy
farms.
“The scheme is important, and we are committed to work in partnership with the sector, and work through challenges
together and continue to celebrate progress,” she says.
“We work closely with individual operators to help them achieve environmental compliance, which is crucial to the
long-term success of dairy farming.”
“We acknowledge the dairy sector’s important contribution to our economy in what has been a difficult year with the
challenge of COVID-19 and lockdown,” she says.
Central Hawkes Bay dairy farmer Elliot Cooper says he and other farms acknowledge the work of the Regional Council and
staff to help farmers.
“It’s definitely a partnership between us and the Council. We don’t go it alone. It’s not an easy job for the Council,
with so much regulation coming down the pipeline, and we appreciate what they do.”
The Dairy Awards are supported by sponsors Ravensdown, Farmlands, Fonterra and Stoney Creek.
Ravensdown’s senior agri manager Thomas Taylor recognised the great work of dairy farmers in Hawke’s Bay running fully
compliant operations.
“We’re proud of our partnership with the sector and congratulate these people on managing their farms in an
environmentally responsible way,” he says.
Tony Haslett, Fonterra’s Hawke’s Bay area manager, says in the future, there will be incentives through milk payments
for farmers to obtain supply standards in which compliance with the regulator will be important.
Rhys Hellyer from Farmlands says the company was pleased to be a sponsor for such a positive award scheme.
The council handed out Stoney Creek’s Rammer Jackets as spot prizes at the awards on Thursday. Stoney Creek’s Nigel
Wilson says it’s great to sponsor the event for the first time, and support dairy farmers.
Dairy Compliance Awards 2020 recipients (in alphabetical order):
GOLD Award (38)Anacott Farms Limited PartnershipAshton Family TrustC D & B M BlatchfordBluff Views LimitedBrylee Farm LimitedCameron Dairies Limited (Black Rd)Cameron Dairies Limited (Boyle Rd)Cavan Downs TrustC J J ChrystalCooper Del Este Limited (2819 SH50)Cooper Del Este Limited (2697 SH50)Feather Holdings LimitedFlat Hill TrustGalloway Enterprises LimitedGlasha Farming Company LimitedGreat Glen Farm LimitedHayward Standring TrustHB PasturalJ H & J HedleyWairua Farm TrustLansdown Family TrustLongrow Dairies Limited -Kowhai TerraceLyon Family TrustLyons Family PartnershipKaweka Dairy Limited (Willowford)Kaweka Dairy Limited (Hawkston)Matu Farms LimitedMcBaxter Investments LimitedMitchell Dairy Farms Limited (High Rd)Pine Estate LimitedSeven Oaks PartnershipTe Repo Farms LimitedThompson Perry Family TrustTrustees of the Estate of P M Barry (Hedley)Tuki Tuki Awa LimitedWaikare Dairy Company LimitedWaikare Dairy Company Limited (Tutira)Wantara Farms LimitedWatts & Son Limited
SILVER Award (3)Falling Water Farm LimitedHuiarangi Dairy LimitedMitchell Dairy Farms Limited (Huiarangi Rd)