The cases all found farmers guilty of unlawfully discharged farm effluent into the environment and were sentenced in the past three months.
The prosecutions were taken by Waikato Regional Council under the Resource Management Act.
Council regional compliance manager Patrick Lynch says the farms in the seven cases reflect a small portion of the farming industry.
“However, clearly there are still some in the industry who are not taking their environmental obligations seriously and continue to let the side down,” Lynch said.
“It is now well over 20 years since the current environmental regulation has been in place to manage effluent in this region. I have no doubt that many will be disappointed to see cases such as these still happening.
“Many farmers have excellent systems in place, but we continue to urge all rural businesses to invest in the infrastructure needed to manage effluent effectively, and to ensure they manage those systems every day they are in use.”
The seven cases are:
–Morrinsville farmer Trevor George Aitchison was convicted in relation to unlawfully discharging effluent from an overflowing effluent sump and a disconnected irrigator in August 2019. Aitchison was fined a total of $52,500 by Judge Brian Dwyer in the Hamilton District Court on October 27, 2020. The council became aware of the incident through proactive monitoring of the farm.
–Tamahere farming company Brok Farming Limited was convicted in relation to over application of effluent that made its way to a nearby tributary in September 2019. The company was fined $35,000 by Judge Melinda Dickey in the Hamilton District Court on September 25, 2020. The council was alerted to the incident by a notification from a member of the public.
–Taupō dairy farmer John Richard Lockwood was convicted in relation to over application of effluent in September and October 2019, and again in August 2020. Lockwood was fined $80,500 by Judge David Kirkpatrick in the Taupō District Court on December 1. The council became aware of the incident through proactive monitoring of the farm.
–Te Pahu contract milker Sonya Liddle, was convicted in relation to over application of effluent from two irrigators in August and October 2019. Liddle was fined $33,500 by Judge Jeff Smith in the Hamilton District Court. The discharges were identified during two separate council inspections, one the result of a complaint from the public.
–Ōtorohanga contract milker David Bruce Major was sentenced on three charges relating to inappropriate application of effluent from an irrigator in September and October 2019. On each occasion the effluent flowed into the Matapara Stream that ultimately flows to the Pūniu River. Major was fined $32,500 by Judge Brian Dwyer in the Hamilton District Court on October 28, 2020. The council was alerted to the breaches by a notification from a member of the public.
–South Waikato-based farm effluent spreading company Natural Spreaders Limited was convicted in relation to over application of effluent on a farm at Putaruru in August 2019. The company was fined $37,125 by Judge Melanie Harland in the Hamilton District Court on November 30, 2020. The council became aware of the incident through proactive monitoring of the farm.
–Trinity Lands Limited, a company operating 20 farms in the south Waikato, was convicted in relation to over application of effluent on a farm at Tirau in October 2019. The company was fined $46,900 by Judge Melinda Dickey in the Tokoroa District Court, with the sentence formally issued on January 18, 2021. The council became aware of the incident through a complaint from a member of the public.
