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Vin Smith.
Routine flights for aerial monitoring of farm dairy effluent discharge consents will not be carried out by Environment Southland during 2016/17.
At yesterday’s regulatory committee meeting, Environment Southland councillors agreed ceasing the flights for the coming season was a positive move given the reduction in significant non-compliance over recent years.
Policy, planning & regulatory services director Vin Smith says the compliance team initiated a review after considering the significant non-compliance numbers, success of aerial monitoring, staffing and changes in plans.
“Cases of significant non-compliance have gone down from 6% to 1.7% over the past three years. It’s a reflection of the sector’s improving performance.”
A report presented at the meeting says ceasing the aerial monitoring flights would likely result in little change to the overall outcome of the monitoring programme because non-compliance identified on the flights had become very low.
OPINION: Recent media commentary from Southland Federated Farmers has raised concerns among our rural communities, particularly around Environment Southland’s approach to winter grazing inspections and nitrogen reporting. But let’s be clear, much of what’s been said simply doesn’t reflect reality.
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