The Waihī Estuary has long been under threat, due to decades of draining wetlands, changing rivers and land use, as well as contaminated run-off.

Working with local landowners to ensure sustainable management of natural resources is one of the ways we can collectively work towards restoring the health of one of New Zealand's most degraded estuaries.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Regulatory Compliance Manager, Matt Harrex, said many farmers in the Waihī Catchment and across the region are continuing to look at ways they can reduce their environmental footprint – but there are still some who are not meeting the mark.

Last year, during a routine inspection at a dairy farm, a Compliance Officer discovered effluent leaking from a 10cm hole in an effluent pond. The owner and farm manager were instructed to fix the hole, as well as seal a historic outlet pipe, which was part of an old, unused irrigation system.

However during a follow-up inspection the next month, the officer noted the hole had been repaired, but the historic outlet pipe had not been sealed, the tap was on, and the pipe was discharging effluent from the pond.

This led to contaminated water spilling over the land and entering the farm’s drainage system. Testing in the drain, which was approximately 300m downstream of the pipe, showed elevated levels of E. coli (43,000cfu/100ml) and other contaminants. These can have adverse effects on water quality and negatively impact the receiving environments – in this case, Waihī Estuary.

In the sentencing decision, Judge Tepania said the effects of this discharge were “moderately serious”, due to the elevated E.coli levels and the cumulative adverse impacts on Waihī Estuary from the series of discharges.

Judge Tepania also noted that the farm manager’s failure to comply demonstrated “little regard for the effects of the effluent discharge on the environment”.

The farm manager was convicted and fined $52,500.

Mr Harrex said the incident is disappointing, as many farmers are doing the right thing by managing their farm effluent responsibly and taking care of their environment.

“Our focus remains on supporting those doing it right, while taking action against those that fail to do as they are required.”

Judge Tepania noted in her decision that the Bay of Plenty Regional Council has, for many years, made significant efforts to encourage compliance with the relevant legislation, through publication of the rules, education, advice, and regular monitoring.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council works closely with farmers in the Waihī Estuary catchment and other catchments around the rohe, to ensure compliance with resource consents and regional plan rules, and provide direction and support about how to improve their land use practices.

Read the full sentencing decision at www.boprc.govt.nz/environmental-enforcement

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