Two weeks of aerial inspections of winter grazing management by the Otago Regional Council start this week with a focus on coastal and Central Otago.
The council’s compliance manager, Tami Sargeant, said the flyovers will be looking at intensive winter grazing and large land disturbances around forestry and any machinery working in or around streams, rivers and wetlands.
Following the flyovers, staff will assess the information and undertake site visits
on any potential high-risk sites to check compliance, Sargeant said.
She acknowledged that the government has signalled pending changes around consenting but encouraged Otago farmers to continue with their best management practices under their current consents.
Government changes will not come into effect until winter next year.
She said she wants farmers who do not have a consent to continue to strive to meet required standards and to have a grazing management plan.
“ORC’s compliance programme will continue for this winter, with a continued focus on education and assessments of any on-farm risks to the environment,” she said.
