Southland Farmers Given 18-Month Freshwater Farm Plan Reprieve
Southland farmers staring down a May deadline to submit freshwater farm plans under current regional plan rules have been given an 18-month reprieve by the Government.
The latest example is where Environment Southland councillors recently directed staff not to join a Forest and Bird declaratory judgement proceedings. Apparently, Forest and Bird is seeking to have the Environment Court declare that excreta from animals are a discharge. The judgement would have wide ranging impacts on farming as it would mean that animal excreta would require a discharge permit if no rule existed in a plan or national environmental standard to permit the activity. What next, permits to allow farmers to breathe?
