Farmers need more time to achieve proposed discharge standards because the significant economic burden of improving water quality is falling on their shoulders alone, an Otago Regional Council hearing panel was told in Balclutha yesterday.
Waipahi farmer James Watt asked panellists to extend the deadlines for achieving standards, which he said sought to remedy 150 years of farming practices.
Mr Watt, who is also chairman of the Waipahi stock water scheme, said he supported the council's intention to improve water quality and maintain standards but it would take more than a few years to do.
In the past decade, he had improved his own farming practices, such as preventing stock entering natural waterways, and he believed conservation could be achieved through good farm stewardship.
However, Mr Watt added that the cost of doing so was significant and it was unfair to expect farmers to undertake the required level of work in the time proposed.
"Just about all the cost of improving water quality is falling on individual farmers and I do not believe sufficient time has been given. It's really important to keep farmers on side but these standards make us feel guilty of what we've actually inherited," he said.
Deadlines within the plan change ranged from 2012 to 2019.
Mr Watt said the council and farmers needed to work together to improve water quality.
It was important that as much help and encouragement as possible was given to farmers to make changes and to allow for that expense, he said.
Stirling dairy farmer and Clutha Deputy Mayor Hamish Anderson said a person would need a bachelor of science and a laboratory to understand and monitor whether discharges met proposed standards.
He suggested the plan should include more practical guidelines.
"If water is not discoloured and if there's no scum it's a good starting point for people to understand."
He said farming best practice would not ensure standards were achieved.
The hearings continue in Wanaka on Monday.
Day 7
Where: Balclutha.
Panel: Crs Duncan Butcher (chairman), David Shepherd and independent member Clive Geddes.
Proposal: Changes to Otago's water regulations to prevent run-off in rural areas polluting the region's waterways.
Submitters: Kaitangata dairy farmer Stewart Morrison, Clinton Gorge farmers Mervyn and Judy Mitchell, Clydevale farmer Stephen Crawford, Waitahuna West farmer Dave Shaw, Waipahi farmer James Watt, Waiwera South farmers John and Craig Whiteside, Pypers Produce owner/manager Brent Lamb, of Invercargill, Stirling dairy farmer and Clutha deputy mayor Hamish Anderson, Waiwera South dairy farmer Philip Neame, Kaitangata farmer Stephen Korteweg, Paretai farmer Dave Inder.
Quote of day: "If you are swimming in and drinking your water and there are fish in the creeks I would say you won't have a problem with this plan change." - Panellist Clive Geddes
