First aerial winter grazing compliance inspection completed
MEDIA RELEASE
27 June 2023
First aerial winter grazing compliance inspection completed
Environment Southland completed its first aerial compliance inspection of the winter grazing season on 13 June, identifying 21 potential sites of interest.
Environment Southland resource management manager Donna Ferguson said they were now following up on the sites, checking consents, and identifying if further action needed to be taken.
The flights were an opportunity to see if the good preparation observed during cultivation flights in late January was being followed by good practice, she said.
The flight was also the first aerial inspection since the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater rules around intensive winter grazing came into effect on 1 May.
Staff looked for crops that had little or no buffering from waterways, were on steep slopes, and crops planted within critical source areas.
The sites identified for follow up were a mixture of crops being grazed on what appeared to be critical source areas, and some with slope issues, Mrs Ferguson said.
Flights are planned for the start of each winter month and follow paths guided by known areas of concern and incidents reported, as well as locations noted during the cultivation flights.
“We will be undertaking further aerial and roadside monitoring and responding to complaints through the winter grazing period. The roadside work is an extension this year to ensure we are checking more paddocks and reaching out to more farmers.”
Anyone who sees something they're concerned about environmentally should get in touch with Environment Southland directly. The Ministry of Primary Industries inspects the animal welfare concerns, and can be contacted by calling 0800 00 83 33 or emailing animalwelfare@mpi.govt.nz.
Farmers who are unable to undertake intensive winter grazing as a permitted activity, according to the new rules, are required to have either applied for a resource consent or deemed permitted activity. It’s not too late to apply for a consent or deemed permitted activity if you need one.
Environment Southland consents manager Bruce Halligan said intensive winter grazing consents were granted for between 5 to 8 year terms. Deemed permitted activity notices will be valid until 1 November 2024.
If landowners with winter grazing operations are still not sure how the rules affect them, there is a checklist on the Environment Southland website www.es.govt.nz/winter-grazing
For further information contact, contact the communications team on 0800 76 88 45.
Editor’s note: As at June 20, 2023 there have been a total of 50 winter grazing applications received – 15 deemed permitted activity applications have been granted, 14 consents have been granted and 17 applications are being processed, two applications have been returned and two have been withdrawn.
