Expo: Getting it right with effluent
A great guiding philosophy is do it once, do it right when it comes to upgrading farm effluent management systems.
Waikato Regional Council’s latest Effluent Expo at the Claudelands Event Centre in Hamilton on Tuesday, October 17, will help farmers to do just that. A wide range of exhibitors and organisations will be on hand to provide advice.
When upgrading to ensure compliance with effluent management rules, the council recognises farmers can be worried that, despite their best efforts and considerable expenditure, they might be forced to do it all over again at some stage as circumstances and rules change.
‘‘Spending money on improving an effluent system to ensure compliance can be a daunting task, both practically and financially, for a farmer,’’ said sustainable agriculture adviser Mark Gasquoine.
‘‘One of the clear concerns the council’s farming services team hears is that regional council rules could change and require further investment.’’
Gasquoine acknowledges change at some undetermined point in the future is always theoretically possible. But he notes that current rules are wellestablished and science-based, with future proposed rules outlined in the Proposed Plan Change 1 in the Waikato and Waipa rivers catchments.
‘‘The principles underlying effluent management rules align with current science. This science shows that applying effluent to pasture when soil moisture is at suitable levels has a relatively low environmental risk.’’
And Gasquoine said there were some basics farmers can bear in mind to future proof themselves.
‘‘The basic reason for a good effluent system is reducing the impact of the application of effluent to land by applying effluent at the right time, and also to ensure that applications don’t overload the environment with nutrients, particularly nitrogen.
‘‘So farmers can help future proof their properties by having systems that provide for a low risk approach.’’
For More information: waikatoregion.govt.nz/community/your-community/forfarmers/2017-effluent-expo/