Fourteen South Otago
dairy farmers facing pollution-related charges brought by the
Otago Regional Council will appear at a special sitting of
the Environment Court in Balclutha next week.
Four days from next Monday have been set aside for hearings
and sentencing for those who have admitted offending.
Most of the charges relate to the discharging of effluent on
to production land causing either the ponding of effluent or
its discharge into waterways - both breaches of the regional
council's water plan.
Court sheets show the farmers come from throughout Clutha
district including Clydevale, Milton, Kaitangata, Owaka
Valley and Romahapa.
Council resource management director Dr Selva Selvarajah said
the alleged offences were spotted during its routine annual
monitoring of farms.
The Balclutha court prosecutions closely follow a series of
fines imposed on North Otago dairy farmers in late April.
Three properties there were fined more than $48,000 in total.
Dr Selvarajah said recent prosecutions around the country
showed the fines imposed ranged from $5000 up to $40,000.
After the North Otago cases, Dr Selvarajah told the Otago
Daily Times the issue of non-compliance by dairy farmers had
continued over several years.
The council had tried, through $750 infringement notices and
other education-type means, to improve matters.
Last season, the council felt it was not making any huge
improvement and decided to take a "hard stance" and
prosecute.
Some prosecutions have been transferred to the Dunedin
District Court.
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