Dead cows found in waterway
I am not trying to defend that the animals were in the creek . . . it shouldn’t have happened and I am totally at fault, but I have had a guy looking after it [property].
Environment Southland is investigating a complaint three dead cows have been lying in a stream near Invercargill for ‘‘weeks’’ without the landowner removing them.
Kieran Flynn said he was disgusted dead stock on land next to his, owned by Wayne Carpenter, had not been removed from the waterway and disposed of.
Carpenter yesterday acknowledged the animals were dead in the waterway but said he had not known they were there until contacted by The Southland Times.
He was organising for the animals to be removed and said he believed Flynn should have told him, rather than the media, about the dead stock.
The three dead cows were in the headwaters of the Otepuni Stream on Carpenter’s land, Flynn said.
Also, a dead cow and calf were lying together in a nearby paddock on Carpenter’s property.
Flynn and Carpenter had had issues in the past, but not about the dead animals.
Carpenter said he had not known about the dead cows on his property until contacted by Fairfax.
He also denied the stream was the headwaters of the Otepuni.
‘‘I am not trying to defend that the animals were in the creek . . . it shouldn’t have happened and I am totally at fault, but I have had a guy looking after it [property],’’ he said. ‘‘I didn’t know they were in the creek.’’
He had also not known the dead cow and calf had been lying in the paddock, he said.
He addressed the issue as soon as he learned of it, he said.
‘‘I am getting them removed at the moment.’’
Carpenter said he believed Flynn should have told him, rather than the media, about the dead stock.
‘‘He should have come straight to me.’’
Environment Southland acting compliance manager Graeme McKenzie said Flynn had called them yesterday morning about dead stock in the waterway.
An Environment Southland staff member was investigating.
"We are very keen to have those [cows] removed from the waterway. As a carcass biodegrades there will be contaminants released in the water."
Environment Southland liked to think landowners dealt with dead carcasses on their farms appropriately, McKenzie said.
‘‘The rules are that the carcasses need to be buried and covered.’’
Depending on the findings of the investigation, Environment Southland had several options available to deal with the issue, including advice and education, warning letter or prosecution.
The regional council would assess the impact on the waterway and compliance with the rules then work with the farmer before considering prosecution.