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Council officer sampling ponded effluent.
A Waihi dairy farmer, Keith Torrens, has been convicted and fined $39,000 for the unlawful discharge of dairy effluent following a prosecution taken by Waikato Regional Council.
The fine was imposed by Judge Sheena Tepania in the Tauranga District Court after Mr Torrens pleaded guilty to a charge under the Resource Management Act.
The conviction comes after council compliance officers inspected the defendant’s farm in October 2023, having issued him with an abatement notice earlier that year for breaching dairy effluent rules.
During the inspection they found two unlawful discharges into the environment, one from the dairy shed and one as a result of overirrigation. Both discharges posed a significant risk to contaminating groundwater.
The defendant had provided very limited storage capacity on the farm meaning effluent irrigation was likely when weather and soil conditions were unsuitable.
Waikato Regional Council Compliance Manager Patrick Lynch emphasised the importance of farm owners providing adequate infrastructure and ensuring good management practices.
“Dairy effluent systems need to be fit for purpose, robust and carefully managed to avoid environmental harm. In this case, Mr Torrens had purchased an effluent storage bladder some years earlier, but had never installed it, despite the issuing of an abatement notice and formal warning for previous environmental breaches,” said Mr Lynch.
In sentencing, Judge Tepania described the offending as careless, noting that Mr Torrens had an ongoing responsibility to provide efficient and effective infrastructure. “As he had purchased a bladder, it makes no sense to the Court that he would not install it,” she said.
South Waikato farmer David Christensen was convicted and fined $56,000 for two unlawful discharges of dairy effluent following a prosecution taken by Waikato Regional Council. The fine was imposed by Judge Melinda Dickey from the Huntly District Court after Christensen plead guilty to two charges under the Resource Management Act.
A contract milker and a dairy farm owner have been convicted and fined a combined $66,500 for the unlawful discharge of dairy shed effluent and stockfeed leachate into the environment.
The Environment Court has directed Waikato Regional Council to make 20 specific changes to finalise a landmark plan to improve water quality in the Waikato and Waipā rivers.
An Auckland man has been fined $6,000 for offering to sell illegally slaughtered pigs.
An Ōpunake farmer with a poor effluent system has been fined $35,000 with a discount on the penalty discarded after he charged at a Taranaki Regional Council officer inspecting the ‘systematic problems’ on his farm.
Forestry Minister Todd McClay has today congratulated the winners of the 2026 Growing Native Forests Champions Awards at Fieldays.
The Government has announced $60,000 to provide one-off grants of $1,000 to each of the 60 New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) clubs across the country.
New Zealand’s rural sector has once again demonstrated its generosity, with the second Rural Industry Leaders Dinner, Debate and Auction raising an impressive $400,000 for the Rural Support Trust.
There has been another twist to the Federated Farmers annual election fiasco.
Analysis of decades of research has revealed the implementation of good farming practices plays a critical role in reducing nutrient losses to improve freshwater outcomes.
Yesterday the Government used the opening of Fieldays to announce a major investment, as part of its Land Use Flexibility package, to support a more productive and sustainable future across six sectors including dairy.
