Oh, please, spare the violins, farmers didn't know they were polluting, come on, we knew. We knew when we cleared stream and rivers sides and bush gullies that run off would increase. We knew when we discharged, we knew when we tried to wring every last bit out of the land and then yelled for support when a drought hit. We knew and we know. We break the rules and then after more warnings than any other criminal would be given we moan when we finally get prosecuted. A few cows in waterways wasn't a problem but just like people it is the population pressure and suddenly the waterways can't cope. Farmers, stop bleating, we know and for some reason we think we're above the law, well we're not and it's time we ALL stood up and took responsibility for our actions. Some of us have, and that's great but too many believe the myth that we should be exempt and someone else should pick up the bill of cleaning up after us.

So it's settled then. We will stop intensive dairying by taxing farmers beyond their means, which will also have a massive impact on small family owned farms, and all those who service the industry can go back to the dole queue. As a general rule farmers have done a lot towards cleaning up the environmental impacts, from trialing different ways of fertilization to adding bacteria to drinking water to reduce 'emissions'. Actually the constant criticism that the media induces the public into giving does cause resentment and it's because the whole story doesn't get told.

There is a good rule of thumb to know whether the farmers milk is good enough to drink straight from the teat, does he drink it himself? We drink the water our cows are standing on top of BEFORE it goes through the treatment plant in the city.

#1 The perception is that dairying is lucrative, the reality is that over say a 3year period dairy incomes can vary quite significantly. Media always emphasise the 'big' payouts but rarely do we see an accompanying statement about rising farm costs. People are not forced to eat dairy therefore your fat tax should be on the food so the user pays, not the dairy farmer. Despite what the Labour party would have you believe (they chose the lowest payout year for years)farmers are also taxpayers. I get no benefit from the Auckland motorway - yet as a farmer and taxpayer I am expected to help pay for it.

#2 So you don't have a problem with urban sewerage being repeatedly dumped in to waterways because the council 'can't afford to fix it, or the pump broke down'? The difference is a farmer gets fined, the council gets let off scot free. Until prosecutions are undertaken on urban authorities with the same rigour applied to farmers, I don't believe urban dwellers are in a position to criticize rural dwellers.

#3 Steve A regional council manager recently told me that the problem is cow urine nitrogen, not the fertiliser! So one of you are wrong.

#10 Can you guarantee that the farmer was a Fonterra supplier? Fonterra cannot be held responsible for farmers who supply other companies.

#11 Grant the new irrigation schemes are being planned to take the excess water during high rainfall/snowmelt(75% of river water ends up out at sea)and stored. It's the storage that makes these schemes quite different from a lot of current irrigated water. Let's face it folks, we are all polluters. Rural and urban dwellers.

Re comment # 10 - Just Google "dirty dairying massive fines" for the results from the courts.

The next big water disaster looming in NZ is irrigation. Both Labour and National have been sold the idea that irrigation will give more production and lead us out of the economic pit we've dug for ourselves. That means more free water for farmers plus (from National) $400 million in taxpayer-funded handouts.

But advocates of irrigation have been careful not to mention the Australian experience. The Ozzies have found that irrigation leads to massive increases in rootzone salinity, making the soil permanently useless for farming. This is the big problem in the Murray river system (apart from reduced flows caused by irrigation takes).

Jon, two recent cases before the Bay of Plenty court have shown farmers who are premeditated in their lack of care to the point where the judge declared that one of the defendants verged on contempt of court since he had been convicted a number of times previously. Obviously not all farmers are concerned about reducing the affect of diarying on the water quality in nearby waterways.

Previously Fonterra have stated that they would take action against known polluters, to the point of refusing to accept product from those suppliers. Where is this commitment from Fonterra at present? Perhaps we need to hear another assurance from Fonterra that they are strongly for the protection of the environment and will participate fully in mitigating damage caused by non-compliance?

"More cows do not mean more pollution." So a million more cars in Auckland will have no effect on air pollution. Oh sure, absolutely. Dairying is riding on the back of a massive environmental subsidy.

What makes you sure farms have improved their effluent treatment standards? Was it in your crystal ball or did you consult an astrologer?

The truth is that water is a finite resource. Intensive dairying and clean streams are wholly incompatible, the farmers know that, but won't admit it.

The pollution problem obscures the greater scandal of water capture by the rural community. Odd isn't it how farmers maintain that water has no value when it is a public resource (so they should get it for free) but once it is under their control, they on-sell it for a large sum.

Im all for supporting farmers to improve environmental outcomes . At this point however i have seen no evidence to suggest that lowland water quality generally is improving . When territorail authorities can show that waterways have recoved from the declines over the pat 15 years then a lot more people will support increasing farming intensity . Ive spent the past 20 years in close contact with many small creeks and rivers on the plains of canterbury . Almost all of them have experienced environmental declined markedly in the past 15 years .

It is time that New Zealand had a debate as what they want from Dairy Farmers, is it economic prosperity, clean water, jobs, areas with no dairying, cows in barns resulting in very little environmental impact, cheap milk for locals. What is it? Once that is decided then Dairy farmers can deliver without constantly being attacked by opposing interests.

Jon, you claim "slagging off farmers builds resentment", but also called Green voters "impressionable youth". Surely this is a two way street.

@ Tony. All well and good but any internal taxes and cost will ultimately be passed onto the consumer, so regardless the consumer pays the price of any extra cost.

There will always be the odd cowboy that will try to push the system but for both farmers and supply companies aims are to reduce pollution; certainly no-one goes out there to purposely destroy the earth. Very good article Jon.