Two dairy farms have to pay a total of $46,500 for illegal discharges of dairy effluent, penalties imposed in the Oamaru District Court yesterday.
Two dairy farm companies and a sharemilker, company director and farm worker appeared before Alternate Environment Court Judge Paul Kellar on a total of five charges relating to separate dairy effluent discharges on to land at Papakaio and Glenavy.
A third dairy company and two employees at Flag Swamp had sentencing deferred.
Defendants also have additional payments for court costs, solicitors' fees, disbursements and analysts' fees.
Yesterday, Gray Roseneath Farms, company director Bruce Leonard Culver Gray (57) and farm worker Leonard Murray Lyndon Gray (27) were jointly charged with discharging dairy effluent on land at the Papakaio farm which might result in it entering groundwater on February 3.
The company was fined $26,000, Bruce Gray $16,000, and Lyndon Gray $3000.
In addition, a total of $1097.90 in court costs, solicitors' fees, analysts' fees and disbursements were imposed.
Defendants' counsel Alec Neill said the charges arose from a complaint by a neighbour, prompted by "ill-feeling" which went back decades, but intensifying since the Grays' property had been converted to dairying.
Colyde Holdings Ltd, company director Stephen Peter Collett (31) and farm manager Roderick Nicholas Murdoch (26) were jointly charged with discharging dairy effluent on land on the Flag Swamp farm which might result in it entering farm drains and Watkins Creek between October 7 and 13.
Judge Kellar reserved sentencing and will deliver his decision in the Dunedin District Court on September 29.
Kim Elliott Jensen (53), sharemilker, faced two separate infringement notices relating to a Glenavy dairy farm discharging dairy effluent resulting in ponding on May 11 and, on June 3, contravening an abatement notice issued on or about April 26 when discharge of dairy effluent resulted in ponding which may enter groundwater.
Jensen was ordered to pay a total of $1500 in infringement fees, $260 court costs and $226 solicitors' fees.
