Cr Robbie Byars said the annual flyovers look at a range of activities including intensive winter grazing, large land disturbances around forestry and earthworks, and any machinery working in or around waterways.
‘‘After each flyover, staff assess the information available and undertake site visits to ground truth and check compliance on any potential high-risk sites,’’ he said.
‘‘The ORC undertakes compliance flights every year to gain a bird’s-eye view on land use in districts around the region to identify any potential risks to water quality,’’ Cr Byars said.
Cr Byars is a portfolio lead in environmental delivery for the council.
Council compliance manager Simon Wilson said while the regulations have changed over the years, good practice still means good environmental outcomes.
‘‘Whether a consent is in place or not, farmers are encouraged to continue to have a grazing management plan in place to support good on-farm decisions around grazing and mitigation measures,’’ Mr Wilson said.
The council’s compliance programme will continue for this winter period, with an education-first approach and assessment of any on-site risks to the environment.
The ORC expected all farmers, forestry contractors, earth-moving contractors to have a plan in place for managing sediment which could be mobilised, and have controls in place to keep that sediment from getting into Otago’s waterways, Mr Wilson said. — Allied Media
