increase font size
Illegal earthworks on Mr Boyd’s property. Photo Credit: Taranaki Regional Council
The actions of one farmer should not detract from the thousands of landowners who support regional council programmes and work hard to protect and enhance the land, waterways and biodiversity on their properties.
That’s the message from Taranaki Regional Council director – resource management Fred McLay after a farmer was fined $95,750 in New Plymouth District Court this week.
Colin David Boyd admitted to carrying out illegal earthworks on his Surrey Rd, Inglewood farm.
The fine is comprised of a $78,750 for three charges of discharge of sediment and reclamation, as well as $17,000 for not complying with an abatement notice plus an enforcement order issued.
It is the third times Boyd has been convicted of offences under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA).
Between October and November 2019, he carried out significant earthworks in and around a tributary of the Mangatengehu Stream.
He constructed a diversion channel, reclaiming a 278m section of the stream. The majority of the riparian vegetation had been removed and around 160m of the stream had been drained. Significant scour and erosion occurred, with silt and sediment flowing into the stream and impacting water supplies.
There was a noticeable impact on the stream’s freshwater biology, with significant decline in nearby species diversity and population.
McLay says the fine reflects the severity of the offending.
“It reiterates this kind of illegal activity will not be tolerated by the Council or the courts and those who let the side down will be held accountable.
“It is worth noting that a breach of this magnitude is an exception and doesn’t reflect the generally high level of compliance among Taranaki farmers.”
However, with implementation of the Government’s Essential Freshwater regulations under way and the RMA set for reform, McLay says it’s a timely reminder for anyone planning work on their farms.
“We understand it’s a challenging time as farmers get their heads around the changing requirements. The Council is working closely with the rural community to get them the information they need and ensure we’re all on the same page.
“In the meantime the message is simple – if in doubt, check. If you’re not sure what you can and can’t do, please get in touch with the Council. We’d much rather help you get it right, than have to take enforcement action later.”
A farm owner and two former Waikato contract milkers were recently fined $27,000 over a lack of feed for 230 cattle and a lack of treatment for cows suffering from milk fever.
Changes to resource management laws announced last week will spare thousands of farmers from needing an unnecessary resource consent just to keep farming.
OPINION: The Government has been seeking industry feedback on its proposed amendments to a range of Resource Management Act (RMA) national direction instruments.
OPINION: The Government's decision to stop local authorities going ahead with reviews of district and regional plans makes sense for several reasons.
There's been widespread support from the primary sector for the Government's move to put the brakes on local authorities to do any more work on planning changes ahead of major changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA).
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.
A tiny organism from the arid mountains of mainland Greece is facilitating a new way of growing healthier animals on farms across New Zealand.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.
