30 January 2020

In three separate cases taken by Waikato Regional Council, four farming entities have been convicted and fined a total of $159,674 for unlawfully discharging farm animal effluent into the environment.

The prosecutions all related to pollution events between August and November 2018 and were sentenced by District Court Judge Melanie Harland in December.

One case was as a result of a notification from a member of public and the other two from proactive monitoring by council staff.

“We are urging all farmers to have adequate effluent management infrastructure on their farm that can cope with various weather patterns and the capacity to allow farmers to get on with other on-farm commitments,” said council investigations manager Patrick Lynch.

“Unfortunately, these three farms have had significant and avoidable unlawful discharges of effluent into the environment. Good infrastructure and vigilant day to day management can prevent this,” Mr Lynch said.

The convicted parties, the location of their farms, and fines imposed are as follows:

Nigel George Rowan, of Hamilton, fined $61,837.
Christopher John Howard Empson, and his company Meadowbank Farm Ltd, of Te Awamutu, fined $14,250 and $60,750 respectively.
David Bruce Fullerton, of Ngāhinapouri, fined $22,837.

Reports of environmental pollution can be made to the regional council by calling the 24-hour freephone 0800 800 401.

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