Dry weather classification expands to North Island
The dry weather in some parts of the North Island has received medium-scale adverse event classification from the Government.
A court order has been made against a Waikato pig farmer, limiting his involvement in the industry.
Last month, Kenneth McIntyre and his employer, Kaimai Pork Ltd, were convicted and fined $128,750 – a record for environmental offending in Waikato.
And the Environment Court has now issued an enforcement order prohibiting McIntyre from managing animal effluent, managing animal numbers and making financial decisions.
The order follows McIntyre’s fourth prosecution for piggery-related offences against the Resource Management Act. They were brought against him and Kaimai Pork by the Waikato Regional Council and related to the operation of a recently established commercial piggery near Te Aroha.
McIntyre was one of the company directors and responsible for management of the site, including effluent disposal. The piggery began operating with excessive stock numbers and without appropriate infrastructure, resulting in unlawful discharges of effluent to the environment. Despite a council direction to stop, the unlawful discharges continued.
McIntyre’s history of environmental offending dates back to 2006. Council records indicate he has had ten formal warnings, three infringement notices, five abatement notices and has had three prosecutions.
“We had little choice but to put Mr McIntyre back in front of the court over the most recent offending,” said council investigations manager Patrick Lynch.
“Over the years the council has used every tool available to encourage positive behavior change, but this has not worked. This fine, and the court order, is a clear message to Mr McIntyre to change his ways.”
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford is claiming “some real success” on the 12 policy priorities it placed before the Coalition Government.
Federated Farmers is throwing its support behind the Fast-track Approvals Bill introduced by the Coalition Government to enable a fast-track decision-making process for infrastructure and development projects.
The latest report from ANZ isn’t good news for sheep farmers: lamb returns are forecast to remain low.
Divine table grapes that herald the start of a brand-new industry in Hawke’s Bay have been coming off vines in Maraekakaho.
In what appears to be a casualty of the downturn in the agricultural sector, a well-known machinery brand is now in the hands of liquidators and owing creditors $6.6 million.
One of New Zealand’s deepest breeder Jersey herds – known for its enduring connection through cattle with the UK’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II – will host its 75th anniversary celebration sale on-farm on April 22.