Cow cubicles canned amid misinformation claims
BY RHONDA MARKBY
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Farming
Plans have been ditched for three cubicle dairying operations in the Upper Waitaki, with the companies behind the proposals claiming they have been the victims of misinformation.
Southdown Holdings Ltd (SHL), Williamson Holdings Ltd (WHL) and Five Rivers Ltd (5RL) have withdrawn the effluent applications because of the estimated $2.63 million cost of funding the required ministerial call-in for the project and the open-ended nature of the process. SHL, WHL and 5RL had to pay for all Environment Ministry costs associated with the call-in of the effluent applications.
The ministry's preliminary non-binding estimate of costs was $2.63m, and the applicants' own costs were estimated at a further $500,000.
The applicants had asked for the effluent call-in process to be put on hold until the outcome of water hearings associated with the project were known, but the request was refused.
A statement issued by the three companies last night said they had already spent about $2m removing 1200 hectares of wilding pines and more than $1.8m on hearing costs and regional environmental science analysis.
They were not prepared to fund the costs associated with the call-in that SHL director Richard Peacocke considered premature in the overall process.
"Our silence to the criticism and misinformation in the press to this point was driven by the view that it was inappropriate to have this matter litigated through the media, and in respect of the legal ECan-driven RMA process."
Mr Peacocke said they had always been aware of the environmental fragility of the area and had set about developing a world-class proposal to minimise and mitigate any potential negative environmental effects of dairy farming. Although the stables option had a higher capital cost, there were long-term benefits through improved control and management of effluent, impact on waterways, improved animal welfare and enhanced production.
He said housing cows in stables in New Zealand would increase, but the size of their application might have been two or three years too soon.
"It is apparent that more work on educating the Government and the public on the positive affects of the use of stables to house cows would be beneficial for all.
"The irony of our situation is that stable-style farming is the way of the future if New Zealand is committed to environmentally sustainable farming. Farmers and the environment would benefit during cold wet climatic conditions experienced right throughout New Zealand.
"Providing stables for cows is the most effective environmental and robust animal welfare solution for the region and one that, eventually, traditional dairy farmers will be forced to consider as they come under ever-increasing pressure in the management of effluent by regional councils throughout New Zealand."
The companies said there had been a public misinformation campaign around their plans, including comments claiming the stable approach was damaging to the environment; the 18,000 cows in the project equated to only a 0.2 per cent increase in the New Zealand dairy herd, and the effluent was not equivalent to that produced by Christchurch City as often quoted, but only 6 or 7 per cent of that amount.
The "emotive term of factory farming" was used to create negative images similarly to poorly managed forms of battery hen and piggery operations, when the reality was the planned open-sided, roofed barns provided comfortable, free-range style movement for cows.
Of the 4800 submissions opposing the companies' applications, only 1600 were from individual objectors.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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@#31 pcern, do you mean neighboring Shelton Downs Station, where I worked many times during my school holidays? On the bank of the Beautiful Lake Ohau? Near Twizel where I competed in triathalons and rowing regattas?
Never heard of the place. Apparently.
This should not be an issue about the pros and cons of a particular type of farming. These can be argued until the cows come home, but it does not matter. What matters is the damage this proposal will do to the "New Zealand" brand. With the support of the media to promote the "Anti business in the guise of Green", the Green's capability to do extensive damage is enoumous. For this reason alone, the proposal for this style farming should not be allowed to go ahead at this time. The important issue to resolve is allowing dairy farming in the McKenzie basin. I believe The McKenzie country should not be green and is not suitable for intensive farming. Therefore Dairying there should not be allowed. However, others disagree with me, and as we live in a democratic country, have the right to do so. I would like to see a robust debate on this issue, without the emotional propoganda of the Greens clouding the issues. Once the Dairying issue is resolved, we can, if the outcome supports Dairying, progress to an intellegent debate as to what methods to use.
Stop just opposing everything that involves actually doing something productive. They will still get something up and running despite your ill informed efforts. Most of you would wouldnt know where it is,have never been there, and never will so forget it. Nothing humans ever do has zero impact - especially you oxygen thieves
#4 & #18: You clearly don't know anything about the Mackenzie. The severity of the winters makes the "normal" NZ dairying arrangement unfeasible. It just ain't going to happen - to the relief of anyone of sound mind.
@MIKE - resource consents (or lack thereof) were the handbrake here according to the developers. Do they have resource consents to do what you are describing? I assume by the tone of your postings that you know this for sure? Look foward to your response, obviously you are watching these comments as they get posted.
I had to laugh at "Providing stables for cows is the most effective environmental and robust animal welfare solution for the region..."
I'm sure providing stables is good for cows when you choose to farm them on an Antarctic ice shelf, under the sea, at Wembley or on the Moon. Seriously, if a place is so inhospitable for cows that the practice of locking the cows indoors for months can be made to sound like an act of compassion, then, then it's no place for cows to be.
I also recommend the Food Inc. video, BTW. It nicely counters the smug "what do _you_ know about about farming, then?" from farmers by illustrating just how much their business depends on the knowledge of their farming practices being hidden from the public.
This is fantastic news, its also good that the applicants have already spent so much money on this. Learn your lesson.
To advocate that this is a better solution in terms of environment and Welfare is to treat us, the public like idiots. Please show us the basic decency of not lying to our faces, and undermining our values.
Lets not get caught in the false dichotomy here though: Traditional farming versus factory farming is not the issue. The issue is to stop dairy farmers ruining our land and water in any way for profit.
It doesnt matter how you do it, dairy farming just doesnt suit most New Zealand due to its dry land and lack of water resources.
I think that we will regret allowing large scale dairying in the McKenzie and Upper Waitaki. Dairy farmers do not have a right to all the land and all the water, especially since they cannot conform to the current environmental accords
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If Richard Peacocke thinks that the public has been misinformed, then why not post all his documents on the web and let us evaluate them. I am ready to be convinced.
Hiding behind the potemkin facade of commercial sensitivity is not an acceptable excuse.
Another farming headline reads, "Farm Sales Slump". Why not buy them up instead? Yet another one reads, "Dairy Farms Getting Dirtier". You wonder if these guys know what they are doing.