15 Jul 2009

Effect of farms practices on Waikato waterways studied

4:34 pm on 15 July 2009

Waikato Regional Council is working with Dairy NZ, Fonterra and Ballance Agri-Nutrients to better understand the links between farm management practices and pollution of the environment from stock effluent.

Ross Abercrombie from the regional council says a $70,000 study will assess the operations of 14 dairy, sheep, beef and deer farms in South Waikato.

He says the aim is to find out what effect nitrogen and phosporous from the farms is having on the quality of water in hydro storage lakes along the Waikato river.

Mr Abercrombie says the intention is to have the study completed within a few months so the results can be included in the council's policy statement which will be written before the end of the year.