Waituna farmer fined

In a written decision from Judge Prudence Steven this week Marshall Road Farm Trustees Ltd and company owner Reza Abdul-Jabbar were fined a total of $71,500 under the Resource Management Act, having earlier admitted two charges of breaching a rule relating to discharge, and two charges of failure to comply with an abatement notice.

Environment Southland resource management manager Donna Ferguson said the decision marked the culmination of an 18-month process from initial investigation.

“Our communities have told us they expect environmental standards to be upheld, and we want to make it clear that those who do not , should expect us to take action.

“We know many of our farmers are working hard to do the right things to minimise their farming impacts on the natural environment and it is frustrating when they see others who are not.”

We encourage people to report – and continue to report – concerns about pollution to water, land or air on our 24 hour pollution line 0800 76 88 45.

“Our community is our eyes and ears when it comes to pollution incidents.”

Ongoing court matters:

• An Invercargill company and an individual are scheduled to appear in the Invercargill District Court on Tuesday 19 November on charges related to the discharge of diesel to the Otepuni Stream in 2023 and subsequent breach of an abatement notice and will have their first call in the Invercargill District Court
• A Gore company and two individuals have been charged in relation to a discharge to the Low Burn Stream near Mataura, which resulted in the death of thousands of eels in February. They were granted interim name suppression and are scheduled to reappear on 27 November.
• A decision is yet to be released following a defended hearing at the Invercargill District Court in August of Gladvale Farms Ltd on two charges of breaching the Resource Management Act at Oreti Plains in October 2019.