Environment Court rules on Foxton wastewater stock issues

Monday, 18 February 2019

The number of cattle allowed on a beef farm set to be home to Foxton's wastewater discharge will be capped to keep a lid on the amount of nitrogen leaching into groundwater.

The Environment Court granted Horowhenua District Council consent in 2018 to discharge waste from the plant to farmland, after a court hearing involving Horizons Regional Council.

That would change a decades-long process of discharging treated wastewater directly into the wester section of the Manawatū River loop.

The loop was created in the 1940s, when earthworks and an unexpected flood changed the river's course.

**READ MORE:

* Foxton wastewater plant gets green light to take waste out of Manawatū River loop

* Council sticks with Matakarapa island for wastewater

* Wastewater fix will be the project of the decade**

The loop is only connected to the river at the lower western end, making Foxton's river harbour useless.

When the court granted the consent in 2018, it said the two councils had to come up with proposed conditions.

Although the councils agreed on most conditions, they butted heads over the number of cattle allowed on the farm.

The regional council wanted a cap, saying it would help clear up how much nitrogen in total was going on to the land.

It wanted either a cap on stock numbers or revised stock units.

Revised stock units can change depending on the animal. For example, a sheep may be 0.6 units, while a cow is 1.5.

The district council opposed any limit, saying it lacked common sense from a practical farming perspective.

However, if there were a limit it should be up to 1208 revised stock units, the district council submitted.

Environment Court Judge Brian Dwyer, who also heard the original consent application, ruled that limits on revised stock units were the way to go.

There were limits on the amount of wastewater and fertiliser going on the land, and having limits on animal loads was also acceptable, he said.