Consent Advice
By now, all dairy farmers should be aware of the need to obtain one or more resource consents before operating a dairy farm. The following information briefly outlines the types of environmental issues that need to be addressed, but specific details and advice about your individual property can be obtained from our staff.
Talk to us
To save time and money, you should talk to Environment Southland with regard to:
- Contingency planning
- Effluent Management
- Feed Pads
- Gravel Extraction
- Silage
- Soil Management
- Stock Access to Waterways
- Track and Stream Crossings
- Waste Management
- Water Supply and Use
- Waterway Management
- Weeds and Animal Pests
Who should I talk to...
For initial inspections
For advice and an initial inspection of your proposed dairy farm, please talk to our Dairy Advisor.
For resource consents
If you want to discuss resource consent applications, ask for a Consents Officer.
For land sustainability
If you want to discuss environmental farm management then please contact one of our Land Sustainability Officers.
Irrespective of the need for a resource consent, these aspects of dairy farming will have an effect on the environment. Our staff are available to give free advice and information that will assist you to minimise or prevent adverse effects on the environment.
Dairy farmer consent checklist
This is not an exhaustive list of activities that require a consent, but they cover the majority of activities you would expect.
- Discharging effluent to land, from sheds servicing more than 50 cows
- Discharging treated effluent into a stream, river, lake or groundwater
- Taking water from a stream, river, lake or from groundwater for sheds or drinking water (excludes irrigation)
- Taking water from a stream, river, lake or from groundwater for irrigation
- Disturbing the bed of a stream, river or lake
- Placing any structure over or in the bed of any stream or river
- Extracting gravel from stream, river or lake beds
- Discharges of dust into air from gravel extraction exceeding 100 tonnes/hour
- Discharging contaminants to air by burning more than 500 kg of offal
If your water take was established before 1 October 2000 you have an existing use right. However, if you wish to increase the amount you take, then you must apply for a resource consent. If your water take was established after 1 October 2000 you will require a resource consent for use over 20,000 litres/day/property.
Consent conditions
If your consent is granted, there will be conditions attached. These are designed to minimise the impact of your activity on the environment. These conditions will outline:
- The term of the consent
- The size and location of the area where effluent can be discharged
- The application rate
- How far you must stay away from water, property boundaries and sensitive areas
- A herd size limit for the consent
- How soon you can apply effluent after grazing
- Environmental monitoring requirements
- Restrictions on odour effects beyond your property boundaries
- The administration and monitoring costs
What if things go wrong?
In situations where we find you are not complying with your consent, or we receive a complaint and it is found that there is a breach of your consent conditions, it is Council policy to recover all costs associated with investigations. Serious breaches may result in enforcement action being taken.
Consents
You can find the relevant forms for the consent process here.
Environment Southland is the brand name of Southland Regional Council.