"With calving almost over ... [our] team will start heading out to farms as part of our monitoring programme," council compliance team leader Mike Cummings said.
"Farmers have been doing some great work over the years ... but it is important that we carry on with this great work together."
The majority of Otago’s 462 dairy farms are clustered around the Clutha and Waitaki districts, and most of the remainder are on the Taieri Plain, Maniototo, Manuherikia and Ida Valley and Hawea Flat areas.
For the 2023-24 season, the compliance team conducted 400 dairy inspections, some farms visited more than once.
The team will be checking effluent storage and application to land, how silage, farm rubbish and offal is managed and where water is sourced and how it is used on farms.
Staff will also be engaging with farmers on farm-specific topics such as clearing drains and putting crossings across streams and how best to become compliant.
Mr Cummings said compliance was an education-focused programme, but action would be considered where appropriate.
"The dairy programme gives us a great opportunity to ... have good conversations about their on-farm activities."
By December 4, 2024, all dairy farms with less than 40 days’ effluent storage will need a resource consent for applying dairy effluent to land and many will require a consent for effluent storage as well.
The council team can advise on which rules, documentation and timelines apply and how.
