Last year, the regional council announced its intention to take a new approach to dealing with pollution in run-off (non-point pollution) by making land use, such as farming, a permitted activity subject to contaminant discharge standards.
It acknowledged at the time no tools were available to test for run-off but was committed to making sure such devices were found.
Chief executive Graeme Martin said at a recent policy and resource meeting that, after an approach by the council, Landcare Research had developed a tool concept.
The device could be embedded into the ground but further details were unavailable at this early stage due to "intellectual property right issues", Mr Martin said.
It was a practical concept and would give farmers the ability to find out what was happening to their run-off.
"It's looking very good," Mr Martin said.
The tool now needed to be manufactured and subject to trials, he said.
To develop it and do field testing would cost the "best part of $1 million".
The next step was to approach the dairy industry and others to seek their opinion on the concept and funding, Mr Martin said.
"The Government has got to be a key funder.
They are deeply concerned about non-point pollution," he said in a later interview.
The council was also discussing it with regional councils in Hawkes Bay and Canterbury.
He suggested it would be appropriate for the regional council to make a "small capital contribution toward the process of $100,000".
A provision for this would be included in the draft annual plan this year.
Landcare was also working on a tool to measure run-off in tile and mole drain areas.
