Waikato dairy effluent breaches lead to $108,000 in fines
Two farmers and two farming companies were recently convicted and fined a total of $108,000 for environmental offending.
The convictions and fines were imposed last week on B & B Singh Ltd by Judge Melinda Dickie in the Hamilton District Court.
Judge Dickie also issued an enforcement order requiring the farmer to install appropriate effluent infrastructure on the property. The company is owned by Gurnam Singh.
The prosecution was taken by Waikato Regional Council, under the Resource Management Act, following inspections of the farm’s effluent system.
The first inspection on 17 August 2018 found a pipe from the cowshed discharging effluent directly onto the ground.When the council re-inspected the system on September 26, 2018 the same pond was found still overflowing.
In sentencing notes released earlier this month Judge Dickie stated, “It is unacceptable to be aware of the failings in a system and to not take steps to address those failings or mitigate them until they can be addressed.”
In reflecting on the farm’s history and most recent failings, she described the defendant’s actions as “highly careless”.
