Radio New Zealand reports that dirty dairying is up in Southland, with almost 50% of farms inspected recently found to be seriously breaching their resource consents. What that means is that they're pumping cowshit everywhere, polluting local waterways and groundwater with a tidal wave of shit, endangering both the environment and human health.
(A brief in the Manawatu Standard last night about this mentioned that the pollution topped the scale. These are not minor, technical breaches we are talking about...)
The regional council is considering taking legal action. Considering? These farmers are committing a serious crime, with a penalty of up to two years imprisonment or a $300,000 fine. Faced with such serious offending, other bodies wouldn't "consider" laying charges - they'd actually do it. The Southland Regional Council must do the same. Farmers clearly will not change their polluting behaviour unless they are forced to. It is time local authorities stood up for the environment and the law and do just that.
