Cr Lloyd McCallum was one of four directors of the property in question.
Speaking at the meeting, he said it had been a stressful experience for him and his family and that no further enforcement action was being taken."
Like all challenging situations in life, there are learnings and opportunities," he said.
"As a councillor and a farmer I will continue to review and improve my farming practices to ensure we’re operating at and above good practices."
He looked forward to returning to work.
ES general manager of policy, planning and regulatory services Vin Smith said an investigation was sparked when a complaint was laid on May 4, expressing concerns about cattle being fed on a riverbed on the Oreti River.
The property was not immediately identified and the complaint was dealt with according to ES’ protocol and the restrictions of Covid-19 Alert Level 3 in place at that time.
The farm was later identified as belonging to Strone Farms Ltd, of which Mr McCallum is one of four directors.
An initial site visit was undertaken on June 8 which revealed the paddock in question was completely fenced from the river and there was no evidence to suggest contaminant discharges from land to water. The investigation also determined the area was not a bed of a river.
It was deemed no breach was identified nor was there any unlawful activity, Mr Smith said.
Environment Southland sought legal advice to ensure correct interpretation of the relevant rules and a review of the investigation by the Environmental Protection Authority.
