Crafar family speaks out about charges

The Crafar brothers have broken their silence about dairy effluent prosecutions related to their companies, hitting back at media reports, the laws surrounding farming, and the councils that have taken them to court.

The family released a statement through Mark Copeland, of Rotorua-based law firm BlackmanSpargo.

It said they were "extremely disappointed by the decision of the court in the recent Hillside prosecution", which pertained to effluent issues at a Collins Rd farm near Hamilton. They are due to be sentenced this month.

"In our view this decision significantly extends the boundaries of the previously understood laws in this area, particularly regarding the personal liability of individuals who are not directly connected with the day-to-day operations of a dairy farm."

The statement said the decision was still being discussed with the family's legal advisers.

Accusing the media of "sensationalist" reporting that "lacked journalistic balance", the Crafars said the stories included comments "made by individuals holding governmental office, who know little about our operations and the facts surrounding the compliance matters at issue".

"We can only assume therefore that those comments are politically motivated."

Describing media reports as "hurtful and caustic", the family said it had never deliberately pumped effluent into waterways.

"To this point we have chosen not to publicly challenge these unfounded and ill-considered comments," the statement said, adding reports had "caused us considerable emotional and financial harm".

"It is doubtful whether any New Zealand dairy farmer has spent more money on farm effluent management systems, or has better back-up in the form of tractor pumps, vacuum tankers, muck spreaders, spare pumps and staff on call at all times, than CraFarms. These costs now total several million dollars.

"However, certain regional councils have chosen to prosecute CraFarms at every opportunity, despite a number of offers from our family to work co-operatively with the councils to pro-actively address any perceived compliance issues. It is very difficult to efficiently operate dairy farms to council-demanded standards," the statement said.

The family said it was "committed to protecting our environment we are not aware of any farmers who are not".

"In the majority of these compliance cases the Crafar entities have pleaded guilty. The fact that RMA compliance prosecutions result in criminal convictions is little understood."

The Crafars described themselves as "a farming family", and "not corporate farmers", and said they were proud of their dairy farming achievements.

"We started with nothing except one cow, straight from school. We have been pioneers in developing dairy farming operations in difficult land areas.

"We have provided hundreds of people with direct employment in New Zealand's most productive industry and many more through the use of service industries. Yet for our efforts we are being branded as criminals."

Mr Copeland said the Crafars were "considering their position vis-a-vis their business on an on-going basis", and spoke regularly to their staff and farm managers.

- © Fairfax NZ News