Farmer engagement at workshops pleases ORC

Sheep and beef farmers Gordon Thomson (left) and his son Corey Thomson work on their intensive...
Sheep and beef farmers Gordon Thomson (left) and his son Corey Thomson work on their intensive winter grazing consent application with Otago Regional Council catchment adviser Max Cameron, of Dunedin, at the West Otago Community Centre in Tapanui last week. PHOTO: SHAWN MCAVINUE
More workshops are planned to help Otago farmers complete their intensive winter grazing consent applications and management plans.

The Otago Regional Council has nearly held all 14 free workshops it scheduled in February and March to help farmers complete application and plans.

The final two original workshops were being held today at the Strath Taieri Community Centre in Middlemarch between 10 and noon and the Maniototo Golf Club in Ranfurly between 1.30pm and 3.30pm.

Two additional workshops would be held at Papakaio Community Hall between 10am and noon and Hampden Hall between 1.30pm and 3.30pm on Wednesday, April 10.

The council’s acting consents manager, Mat Bell, said staff were "very pleased" with how the workshops had gone so far and how well they had been attended.

"It is excellent to see continued engagement around intensive winter grazing, with people updating their intensive winter grazing management plan for this winter or applying for consent where they need it," he said.

Sheep and beef farmer Gordon Thomson attended a workshop in Tapanui to get "up to speed" on the compliance requirements as his stock would be grazing swede and kale crops on his farm in Heriot this winter.