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.
Dairy effluent, particularly slurry, can be a big problem.
As environmental pressures increase, there's no doubt that New Zealand's dairy farmers will need to take a close look at their existing systems, and learn to understand the nutrient value of this by-product.
Big problems need big solutions, and they don't come much bigger than the Giltrap Engineering vacuum tanker shown on their Fieldays site. With a capacity of 20,000 litres, 8.5 metre length, 3.2 metre height and a tare weight of 7.7 tonnes, this behemoth should certainly make a large hole in the effluent pond during the working day.
Manufactured from 6mm plate steel the tank is supported along its full length by a heavy duty integrated chassis, the superstructure is carried on a HD tri-axle bogie system, with steered front and rear axles, fitted with oversized tyres, and offering hydraulic braking on all six wheels to stop progress safely.
High spec European componentry is used throughout and includes a Battioni Pagani rotary vane vacuum pump featuring auto lubrication to deliver 12,000 litres per minute output to fill the beast in less than two minutes. Pump protection sees a double moisture trap layout, whilst all fittings are either brass or heavily galvanised steel for corrosion protection and an extended operating life
Internally the tank is fitted with a reinforced baffle plate to prevent liquid surging as the tank empties, and offers twin manhole access points for easy entry to facilitate cleaning and maintenance. Around the machine, three filling points are fitted as standard, which use 200mm sectional hoses for rapid filling.
Shown at Fieldays with optional sprung axles, and the operator friendly Autofill system, the range is offered with a 3 year warranty for peace of mind, and can be customised with a range of accessories to suit individual operating requirements.
Matt McRae, a farmer from Mokoreta in Southland who runs a sheep, beef and dairy support business alongside a sheep stud, has been elected to the Beef +Lamb NZ Board as a farmer director.
Ravensdown's next evolution in smart farming technology, HawkEye Pro, was awarded the Technology Section Award at the Southern Field Days Farm Innovation Awards in February 2026.
While mariners may recognise a “dog watch” as a two-hour shift on a ship, the Good Dog Work Watch is quite a different concept and the clever creation of Southland siblings Grace (9) and Archer Brown (7), both pupils at Riverton Primary School.
Philip and Lyneyre Hooper of the Hoopman Family Trust have tonight been named the Taranaki Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
We are not a bunch of sky cowboys. That was one of the key messages from the chairperson of the NZ Agricultural Aviation Association (NZAAA) Kent Weir, speaking at an education day at Feilding aerodrome for 25 policymakers and regulators from central and local government and other rural professionals.
New Zealand's dairy and beef industries say they welcome the announcement that the Government will invest $10.49 million in the Dairy Beef Opportunities (DBO) programme.

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