Stock limits for wastewater plan

Court

The number of cattle allowed on a beef farm set to be home to Foxton’s wastewater discharge will be capped to keep a lid on the amount of nitrogen leaching into groundwater.

The Environment Court granted Horowhenua District Council consent last year to discharge waste from the plant to farmland, after a court hearing involving Horizons Regional Council.

That would change a decadeslong process of discharging treated wastewater directly into the western section of the Manawatu¯ River loop. The loop was created in the 1940s, when earthworks and an unexpected flood changed the river’s course.

The loop is only connected to the river at the lower western end, making Foxton’s river harbour useless.

When the court granted the consent last year, it said the two councils had to come up with proposed conditions.

Although the councils agreed on most conditions, they butted heads over the number of cattle allowed on the farm.

The regional council wanted a cap, saying it would help clear up how much nitrogen in total was going on to the land. It wanted either a cap on stock numbers or revised stock units.

Revised stock units can change depending on the animal. For example, a sheep may be 0.6 units, while a cow is 1.5. The district council opposed any limit, saying it lacked common sense from a practical farming perspective.