With calving almost over for most of Otago’s more than 400 dairy farmers, they are being reminded that the annual ORC auditing and farm checks will be getting underway shortly.

ORC’s Team Leader Compliance Monitoring, Coastal, Mike Cummings, encourages any farmer who is uncertain about any consenting to contact ORC as soon as possible (contacts below).

“With calving almost over for most dairy farmers, staff from ORC’s Compliance team will start heading out to farms as part of our annual dairy monitoring programme,” he says.

Otago has 462 dairy farms with the majority clustered around the Clutha and Waitaki districts, and most of the remainder on the Taieri Plains, Maniototo, the Manuherikia and Ida Valley and Hawea Flat areas. These farms are monitored annually on a risk-based approach, with the focus on how to support the sector.

For the 2023-24 season the Compliance team completed 400 dairy inspections, with some farms being visited more than once.

“Farmers have been doing some great work over the years, which our dairy monitoring programme shows but it is important that we carry on with this great work together,” Mr Cummings says.

This year the team will again be checking compliance with dairy effluent storage and application to land, and how silage, farm rubbish and offal is managed, he says.

“The team will also be looking at where water is sourced from and how it is used on farm.”

This is an education focused programme, but like with any activities, where needed appropriate compliance action is considered. The programme has been run successfully for a number of years, with staff taking the chance to talk to farmers about a range of topics.

Staff will also be engaging with farmers on topics which are farm specific from clearing drains and putting crossings across streams and how best to become compliant with rules.

“The dairy programme gives us a great opportunity to continue to work with the dairy sector and have good conversations about their on-farm activities,” Mr Cummings says.

By 4 December 2024 all dairy farms with less than 40 days effluent storage will need a resource consent for applying dairy effluent to land and many farmers will require a consent for effluent storage as well.

Contact Council’s Compliance Team for on-site advice about the rules

Council’s Compliance Team can:

• Provide surety about how the rules apply to a particular farm.
  • Assessing compliance with the rules
  • Documenting the compliance
• Explain what rules apply and when they have to be met.
• If the rules aren’t being met, the Compliance team can work with farmers about the steps that need to be taken and when it is reasonable to be compliant by.
  • The Compliance Plan is for the team to use education and support to help people comply with the rules.

© Scoop Media