ECan deluged with submissions on planned 'cubicle' dairy farms

Environment Canterbury (ECan) has been flooded with submissions opposing proposed large-scale "cubicle" dairy farms in the Upper Waitaki basin.

More than 1500 submissions have already been lodged against publicly notified consents for Five Rivers, Southdown Holdings and Williamson Holdings.

Under the proposal, cows would remain in cubicles for eight months of the year.

The companies want to create more than a dozen dairy farms, with over 17,000 cows.

The proposed farms would be developed near Lake Ohau and Omarama.

ECan consents team leader Carly Stevens said all but 70 of the submissions had been lodged in the past week.

While some were concerned about animal welfare issues, Stevens said most were equally concerned about environmental effects.

However, Southdown Holdings director Richard Peacocke said the farm-management plan was not unique.

"It is widely used around the world and increasingly in Southland and Canterbury, where farmers are coming under increasing pressure to better manage their discharge of nutrients to the environment," he said.

Public submissions close on December 18.

- © Fairfax NZ News