Dairy compliance on the up and up

The Dairy industry and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council have adopted the shared goal to achieve 100% compliance with all resource consents, and are almost 80% towards the goal, celebrated at this week’s Dairy Compliance Awards.

The Dairy Compliance Awards recognise Hawke’s Bay dairy farmers who consistently achieve full compliance with their resource consents.

This is the sixth year of the Dairy Awards, covering water takes, farm dairy effluent and air discharge consents. Over the years, overall compliance has improved from 71% in 2012-13 to 78% in 2018-19.

At Thursday’s event, 40 of 77 farms had been fully compliant for five years – six more Gold awards than last year. Five farms were recognised at the Silver 4-year level, and five at the Bronze 3-year level.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council chief executive James Palmer congratulated each of the awarded dairy farms and spoke of the Regional Council’s commitment to work with the sector, celebrate its progress and drive accountability.

“I really acknowledge the dairy sector’s contribution to our economy over the last 12 months, a sector under significant pressure and with challenges to work through,” says Mr Palmer.

“The Regional Council’s works closely with individual operators and the sector, alongside our regulatory role. We celebrate the dairy sector operators who continue to maintain high environmental standards,” adds Mr Palmer.

The Dairy Awards are supported by sponsors Ravensdown, Farmlands and Fonterra.

Ravensdown’s technical director Dr Hendrik Venter recognised the great work of dairy farmers in Hawke’s Bay running fully compliant operations.

“We’re proud of our partnership with dairy farms in the Bay and congratulate these people on managing their farms in an environmentally responsible way,” says Dr Venter.

Rhys Hellyer from Farmlands said the company was pleased to be a sponsor for such a positive award scheme.

Tony Haslett, Fonterra’s Hawke’s Bay area manager thanked the farmers for their continuing high standard of operations.

“This is a great way to celebrate the high standards being quietly demonstrated by dairy farmers across Hawke’s Bay”, says Mr Haslett.

Dairy Compliance Awards 2019 recipients (in alphabetical order):

GOLD Award (40)

Anacott Farms Limited Partnership, Ashton Family Trust, C D & B M Blatchford, Bluff Views Limited, Brylee Farm Limited, Cameron Dairies Limited – Black Rd, Cameron Dairies Limited – Boyle Rd, Cavan Downs Trust, C J J Chrystal, Cooper Del Este Limited – Ruamanu, Flat Hill Trust, Galloway Enterprises Limited, Great Glen Farm Limited, Hayward Standring Trust, HB Pastural, J H & J Hedley, Incline Farm Limited, Lansdown Family Trust, Lyon Family Trust, Lyons Family Partnership, Mangatutu Station Limited, Matu Farms Limited, Maungatutu Station Limited, McBaxter Investments Limited, Mitchell Dairy Farms Limited – High Road, Omatane Farms Limited, Opoiti Limited, Perthshire Farms Land Company Limited, Pine Estate Limited, Seven Oaks Partnership, Spring Valley Holdings Limited, Te Repo Farms Limited, Thompson Perry Family Trust, Tuki Tuki Awa Limited, Waikare Dairy Company Limited – Putorino, Waikare Dairy Company Limited –Tūtira, Wairua Dairies Limited, Wantara Farms Limited, Watts & Son Limited, G P Wilson

SIVER Award (5)

Cooper Del Este Limited – Kimberley, Feather Holdings Limited, Glasha Farming Company Limited, Bel Group – Kowhai Terrace, Bel Group – Hedley

BRONZE Award (5)

Falling Water Farm Limited, G R & B E Gibson, Huiarangi Dairy Limited, J and R Moore Farm Trust, Mitchell Dairy Farms – Huiarangi Rd

6 December 2019

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