Government unlikely to 'call in' dairy farm applications

The Government is considering intervening in the controversial dairy-farm proposals for the Omarama-Ohau area. but it looks unlikely the resource consent applications will be "called in".

Environment Minister Nick Smith said in a statement yesterday the Government recognised the level of public interest in the proposals, which involve establishing 16 dairy farms.

Up to 17,850 cows would be housed in cubicle stalls.

A comprehensive report from the ministry confirmed the view of Environment Canterbury that the animal welfare issue over housing the cows lay with the Animal Welfare Act, rather than the Resource Management Act, and that constrained the ability to use the call-in powers.

Options for intervention were further constrained by the fact the applications were lodged before the Government's improved resource management procedures come into effect on October 1.

The changes widened the criteria for call-in and provided for direct referral to the Environment Court.

"These consents must be processed under the 2005 Act; that is more limiting," Dr Smith said.

One option was the appointment of a project co-ordinator from the Environmental Protection Authority to help ECan process the complex consent applications.

That intervention would ensure best practice in dealing with the "contentious" consents, he said.

The final date for any Government intervention was not next Friday, as ECan chief executive Dr Bryan Jenkins had suggested in a letter, but February 2.

However, the minister intends to resolve the issue as soon as possible after the first Cabinet meeting on January 19.

Dr Smith said the controversial consents highlighted broader issues around the need to improve water management in New Zealand - particularly in Canterbury.

"Our systems are not well-equipped for dealing with the increased pressures on water allocation and pressures on water quality.

A major challenge for Government this year will be building on the work of the review into ECan and the Land and Water Forum to put in place a better framework for dealing with these sort of issues in future," he said.

Waitaki First chairwoman Helen Brookes said yesterday she believed the only way of proceeding was for the Government to appoint a panel to hear the applications.