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.”
Trade Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand has no intention of backing down in a trade dispute with Canada over dairy products.
There have been leadership changes at the Hamilton-based Dairy Goat Co-operative, which has been struggling financially in recent years.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.
OPINION: In recent years farmers have been crying foul of unworkable and expensive regulations.
Another 16 commercial beef farmers have been selected to take part in the Informing New Zealand Beef (INZB) programme designed to help drive the uptake of genetics in the industry.
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Kiwi exporters will be $100 million better off today as the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) comes into force.