Small group does great harm
They account for a fraction of the dairy industry, yet the damage they do to the environment and farming’s reputation is profound.
Some were young sharemilkers at the start of their careers, others were old timers with clean records and decades of experience. One was a former Federated Farmers regional leader and prospective MP.
Another was a candidate for an environmental award.
Some have offended before; others made a careless mistake and are genuinely remorseful.
All have been responsible for damaging waterways and adding to the accumulating degradation.
Despite years of coverage about dirty-dairying, the fines and public outrage at declining water quality, it is puzzling as to why this small group continues to carry on in such a manner.
Stuff has been collecting figures on convictions for ‘‘dirtydairying’’ ❚ White Waters Ltd and Johannes Vernooij fined $39,250 and $19,625 respectively (prosecuted by Southland Regional Council)
❚ Block 8 Farm Ltd $54,000 (Taranaki Regional Council)
❚ John and Alison Vernon $45,000 (Taranaki)
❚ Warren MacPherson $41,250 (Southland)
❚ Fernlea Farm Ltd $37,500 (Southland)
❚ Dunrobin Farm Ltd $37,500 (Southland)
❚ Travis Langford $35,625 (Tasman District Council)
offences since 2009/10.
These represent the most serious offending. They have resulted in a conviction, or the issuing of an abatement or infringement notice. The 21 convictions have involved a handful of the 8000 farm owners and 4000 sharemilkers.
A typical case involved that of ❚ Warren Gill $35,000 (Taranaki)
❚ Fernraig Farms (2006) Ltd and Bruce McLennan $25,300 and $8400 (Waikato Regional Council)
❚ CJH Dairies Ltd and Aaron Fleming $23,700 and $8,900 (Otago Regional Council)
❚ Tirohanga Farms Ltd $32,000 (Bay of Plenty Regional Council)
❚ MBL Dairy Ltd and Michaela Coll $17,800 and $8900 (Otago)
❚ Acorn Farms Ltd and A&T Dairies Ltd each $24,500 (Waikato)
❚ No. 2 Annaross Family Trust and Johannus Dekker $12,825 and $6412.50
former chair of Southland Federated Farmers Allan Baird and his companies Vendale Ltd and Benlyon Ltd, where an irrigator gun was supposed to have automatically turned off but kept running for 16 hours overnight.
Effluent could be seen more than 2.5km downstream and discoloration was visible days (Otago)
❚ Otakia Pastures Ltd and Caleb Holmes $11,900 and $5900 (Otago)
❚ Edward Smith $17,812.50 (Waikato)
❚ Morrissey Farming Ltd and Christopher Morrissey $10,900 and $5500 (Otago)
❚ Grant and Glenis Love $16,000 (Otago)
❚ Wendon Creek Cattle Co Ltd $15,000 (Southland)
❚ Allan Baird, Vendale Ltd and Benlyon Ltd $13,200 each (Southland)
❚ Wayne Carpenter sentenced to 150 hours of community work (Southland)
later. Baird withdrew his candidacy to become a MP as a result of the prosecution in June. He and the companies were fined $39,600.
Another was 71-year-old Warren MacPherson, who farms near Invercargill. He was convicted in December after one of his staff left an irrigator running for 18 hours without checking on it.
MacPherson, chair of the Makarewa River Guidance Group and in the running for an environmental award, was visibly stressed in the Invercargill District Court, and was fined $41,250.
Then there was Tirohanga Farms Ltd, on Matakana Island near Tauranga. Effluent flowing into a stream in October last year put the faecal coliform level 67,000 times higher than the safe recreational bathing level.
Fish and Game chief executive Martin Taylor said there may be a small number of offenders but they had a huge impact.
‘‘There is a group of farmers who know what’s right and they’re doing it but there’s a significant group who know what they need to do but refuse to change old farming practices, or they’re so heavily leveraged that they can’t invest in changing to become a sustainable dairy farm.
‘‘Then you’ve got the small group who know they’re doing wrong and don’t care. They’re a minority but the impact they have is significant,’’ Taylor said.