Piggery effluent polluting stream
Waikato Regional Council has sought an interim Enforcement Order from the Environment Court to stop piggery effluent from entering a waterway north of Te Aroha.
EXHIBITORS AT the one-day Effluent Expo in Waikato last month say good farmer turnout shows demand for specific advice.
About 500 farmers attended, many wanting to discuss the cost of upgrading effluent systems and compliance issues.
AgFirst spokeswoman Kate Ody says farmers who visited its stand also enquired about construction of weeping wall and mechanical separation systems, and how to consider the different nutrient loading of different types of effluent.
“As always cost and compliance were key levels of concern. As we were also discussing water use within the farm dairy and how it can influence effluent systems, many inquries were about advice on completing the Variation 6 – water consent applications,” she told Dairy News.
Ody, who coordinated the first expo in 2011 as a Waikato Regional Council employee, suggests it may be time to hold two events every year.
“I still consider the expo to be a success but the demand for our accredited system designers [suggests] it’s time to move biannually for the event….
“However I see merit in having other singular focused events that farmers can be benefit from, perhaps something for the beef and sheep sector where resources for on farm advice are limited.”
Firestone Lining Systems product manager Vaughan Podbielski was also happy with the turnout. He says the drought was on the minds of farmers.
Podbielski says it will attend the “effluent focussed” annual event with Waikato Regional Council and wants other regional councils to hold similar events.
“The regional days, especially Mystery Creek, are good but often too generalised and do not deliver the same bang for your buck,” he says. “Therefore it was disappointing that ECAN decided not to host an effluent expo this year, but instead elected to incorporate it with the Lincoln Field Days.”
WRC spokesman Alan Campbell says the big turnout was a “very healthy” sign of the industry’s commitment to doing the right thing with effluent.
The expo had 44 exhibitors.
The Commerce Commission says connectivity options for rural New Zealanders are front-of-mind as it begins a formal investigation into the future of the copper network.
Grand Finalists have been selected, all regional finals have concluded, and the journey towards the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final is underway.
Hopes of NZ sheepmeat prices picking up anytime soon in the country's key export market of China looks highly unlikely.
Regional councils are welcoming the certainty for councils in today’s Resource Management Act (RMA) announcement by the Government.
ASB says the decision to sign on to the AgriZeroNZ joint venture came out of a wish to be a part of the solution.
Federated Farmers says changes announced to the Resource Management Act today mark the end of the war on farming.
OPINION: Talking about plant-based food: “Chicken-free chicken” start-up Sunfed has had its valuation slashed to zero by major investor Blackbird…
OPINION: Synlait's financial woes won’t be going away anytime soon.