Miraka Farms Limited
Public notice is hereby given pursuant to S.95A Resource Management Act 1991 that the following application for resource consent has been received by Environment Southland.
The application from Miraka Farms Limited (reference APP-20171594) is for the following activities at 162 Boyle Road, Heddon Bush:
- A land use consent to expand the existing dairy platform by adding land and increasing cow numbers from 599 to 750 cows. The additional land comprises Braxton and Glenelg soils, and is within the Central Plains and Oxidising Physiographic Zones.
- A discharge permit to discharge farm dairy effluent to land from up to 750 cows. The discharge area will increase to 224.5 hectares. Farm dairy effluent is proposed to be discharged to land via a low rate rain-gun, travelling irrigator, slurry tanker and umbilical system.
- A water permit to abstract 90m3 per day from the Central Plains groundwater zone at a rate not exceeding 2 litres per second over a 24 hour period.
Purpose: Dairy farming operation
Location: NZTM 2000: 1226989E 4886390N
Legal Description of Property: Lot 3 DP 168, Section 234 Oreti HUN, Part Lot 5 DP 168, Lot 1 DP 4967, Lot 1 DP 471006, Lot 2 DP 471006 and Section 144 Oreti HUN.
The Council must publicly notify an application if the activity will have, or is likely to have adverse effects on the environment that are more than minor.
Reasons for public notification:
It is considered that the effects on the environment will be more than minor for the following key reasons:
- The application is to expand an existing dairy operation by adding cows and land and to increase effluent discharge volumes and areas;
- Braxton soils (Central Plains Physiographic Zone) are not well modelled in Overseer software, which calculates losses from dairy farming, including the discharge of effluent to land. Cracks in these soils when present will allow some faeces, urine and irrigated effluent to bypass the soil profile. There is a high likelihood that Overseer has under-reported the likely losses as a result;
- Overseer does not model mitigation measures and Phosphorus losses well. Overseer modelling of Phosphorus losses may not be accurate and no additional assessment of expected losses or effectiveness of mitigation measures was included;
- An assessment of the effects of using land at the grazier has not been completed. Adverse effects for this area are unknown;
- There is uncertainty surrounding the overall effluent storage volumes on the property which could cause additional effects that have not been assessed. Consent conditions have not been proposed to address this;
- Adverse effects on the environment will be or are likely to be are likely to be more than minor.Full details of this application are also available for inspection at Environment Southland, corner of Price Street and North Road, Waikiwi, Invercargill during working hours (8.00 am to 5.00 pm). Enquiries may be directed to Courtney Guise by phone to (03) 211 5115 or by email to Courtney.Guise@es.govt.nz.Submissions on the above application must be received by Environment Southland no later than 5 pm 23 January 2019. A submission form is available for download below. Submissions may also be forwarded by email to service@es.govt.nz or esconsents@es.govt.nz Submission formAny person may make a submission on the application, but a person who is a trade competitor of the applicant may do so only if that person is directly affected by an effect of the activity to which the application relates that:(a) adversely affects the environment; and(b) does not relate to trade competition or the effects of trade competition.Submissions must be dated and signed (unless submitted electronically) and must include the following information:
- your name, postal address and telephone number (and fax number if applicable);
- details of the application in respect of which you are making the submission;
- whether it is in support of, or in opposition to the application, or is neutral;
- your submissions, with reasons;
- the decision that you wish Council to make; and
- whether you wish to be heard in support of your submission
and you must also serve a copy of your submission on the applicant as soon as reasonably practicable.
Address for Service: Ravensdown, PO Box 16081, Christchurch 8042, Attention: Victoria Caseley
Related documents
Request to Process Pond Application Separately
Amended Application - Policy Assessment
Amended Application - Nutrient Budget Summary Report
Amended Application - Engineer Assessment of Effects - Existing Pond
Amended Application - Farm Environmental Management Plan
Amended Application - Map - Farm Environmental Management Plan
