The council’s compliance manager Tami Sargeant says in a statement staff will be following up “a few” high risk areas predominantly in South Otago and West Otago, which reflected the area’s hilly terrain.
“These include things like crops being planted in critical source areas, where there is a risk of sediment flowing into waterways, and a few buffer zones near waterways that were narrower than we’d like,” Sargeant said.
Concerns with some winter feed crops in South Otago and West Otago is that it has been planted in critical source areas and if there are small buffer zones, this could increase potential sediment runoff.
The flatter terrain of North Otago heightened potential for surface water ponding, while there is the same risk in Central Otago, but also examples of unfenced waterways or waterways without buffers and some steep paddocks.
The council has been working with DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, Deer Industry NZ and Federated Farmers, and Sargeant says they want to build on the improvement to winter crop management evident this winter.
Another round of compliance flights will take place towards the end of this month.
