Council announces support for farms impacted by Mycoplasma bovis

· Compliance requirements adjusted for farms impacted by Mycoplasma bovis

· Affected farms should contact their local zone team

Environment Canterbury accepts some farmers will be unable to meet their resource consent conditions due to Mycoplasma bovis, and will work with those affected on a case-by-case basis.

Senior Manager Service Delivery Nick Daniels said, “We know this is a stressful time for many Canterbury farmers, and we understand some will not be able to comply with all resource consent conditions because of this unexpected disease. For example, farmers under legal controls may not be able to move cattle off their home property for winter grazing, resulting in the potential for higher nutrient losses than what their resource consent allows.”

“We want to work with farmers and independent farm auditors on a case-by-case basis – this includes those who have been under legal controls from Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) as a result of Mycoplasma bovis, as well as those who haven’t been under formal restrictions but are still impacted.”

Mr Daniels said ways Environment Canterbury could help affected farmers included delaying Farm Environment Plan audits by 12 months or delaying the completion of some consent conditions.

Any farmer worried about complying with their resource consents in light of Mycoplasma bovis should get in touch with their zone team or ask for a referral from their MPI case manager.

“We do not have the list of farms impacted by Mycoplasma bovis as this is confidential information held by MPI. That is why we are asking impacted farmers to contact us so we can ensure they get the support they need to manage their resource consents,” he said.

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