Otago farmers have been given the message this week that their farming operations will come under increasing scrutiny as a result of the Otago Regional Council's new water plan.
The council's message was delivered by a ''road show'' featuring board member Gerry Eckhoff, chief executive Peter Bodeker and scientific and enforcement staff.
Meetings were held at Roxburgh, Wanaka, Omakau, Tarras and Ranfurly.
At the Tarras meeting attended by the Otago Daily Times farmers were told in addition to the water testing regimes they would need to embrace, there would be ''profiling'' of farms so inspections were targeted more directly at those not meeting the stricter water quality standards. Council compliance manager Martin King said there would also be more aerial surveillance of farms.
Heightened public awareness of water quality issues was already leading to an increasing number of public complaints to the council, he said.
In 2013, 1100 reported incidents involving water quality were investigated by the council and it was expected the number would be 1400 this year.
Mr Bodeker said the water plan was designed to meet Government water quality regulations by 2025 but, unlike most other regions, farmers in Otago would be allowed to decide how their farms met the standards set by the council.
Mr Bodeker said the council wanted to make it ''as easy as possible'' for farmers to operate their properties as they wished.
Some new rules were being enforced now but others would not begin to be until 2010. There was a chance the plan could change if it did not have the desired effect on water quality.
