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This old mutt has long been suspicious of a group of water zealots in South Canterbury known as the Opihi Catchment Environmental Protection Society (OCEPS).
The group has for years been making unsubstantiated allegations of pollution in the Opuha dam from organochlorine chemicals. Despite numerous tests and clearances by local authorities ECan and Timaru District Council for banned pesticides DDT and dieldrin, the group is never satisfied and keeps insisting there are residues in the water. Recently it was discovered that a small area of sediment containing white granules was discovered in the river which tested to have very high levels of DDT and arsenic.
It was “incredibly confronting” for Taupo farmers to be told in about 2000 that their farms were polluting the lake and they would probably have to go, says Mike Barton, of Glen Emmreth Farm at Lake Taupo.
Farmers should have their say on what the priorities should be for environmental reporting.
Being a dairy farmer and an environmentalist, I have been perplexed by the banter and politicking over the regional council's One Plan implementation.
Agreement has been reached on reducing by 20% the amount of nitrogen leaching into Lake Taupo through the ground.
A DISTRICT court judge is warning farmers polluting waterways can expect higher fines in future to provide greater deterrence as cases "continue to come before the courts".
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) says it is delighted by the Government’s announcement that it would invest $250,000 in the organisation.
The road between Napier and Wairoa is on the mend.
Biosecurity remains the top priority for agribusiness leaders, according to KPMG's 2025 Agribusiness Agenda released last week.
Farmers are feeling more satisfied with their banks, but the situation remains fragile, says Federated Farmers.
Environment Canterbury has confirmed a surge in interest in new dairy conversions, with four effluent discharge permits for conversions granted since the start of the year.
Probably the smoothest season growers can remember. That's how Kiwifruit Growers Association (NZKGI) chief executive Colin Bond describes the situation with fruit picking just past its peak.
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