Displaying items by tag: Waikato Regional Council

A pause on Waikato Regional Council's (WRC) plan change that sets new freshwater rules for farming could be announced in the coming weeks.

OPINION: Staying on Plan Change 1, NZ First deputy leader Shane Jones took to social media to gain some political points.

OPINION: All eyes are on the Government as Waikato farmers seek urgent help to fend off the controversial Plan Change 1 (PC1), designed to manage nutrient discharges into waterways in the region.

Waikato farmers have been told that the Government’s new planning system legislation and the region’s Plan Change 1 (PC1) “won’t mesh together very well”.

The Government is looking at intervening on behalf of Waikato farmers who face new regulations around agricultural land use while Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms are underway.

Federated Farmers is urging the Government to put a halt to Waikato Regional Council's controversial Plan Change 1 (PC1), warning the regulations will impose significant costs, complexity and duplication on thousands of farmers while major national reforms remain unresolved.

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.

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.