| 29 nzdairy DAIRY PEOPLE » Gladvale Farms Ltd Gladvale was recognised as the winner of the agribusiness management award at the 2016 Southland Ballance Farm Environment Awards. The company’s environmental credentials include computer-controlled effluent systems, plastic-lined ponds with leak detection, emergency high-level pumps and sophisticated waste separation technology. It has also installed solar-powered water pumping stations and converted heating systems away from coal to reduce emissions. However David acknowledges the operation has faced regulatory challenges before. Gladvale has had two previous prosecutions. “Mistakes do happen, we’ve had two previous prosecutions before, which we took responsibility for even though they weren’t things that we had full ETHAN MATHIESON M 027 634 7534 E mathiesonelectrical@gmail.com 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 FERTILISER liquid & solid SPRAYING boom & spot & forestry MUSTERING deer, sheep & cattle BUCKET seeding & fertiliser www.heliops.co.nz Ph: 0800 HELIOPS or 03 225 8275 - anytime control over,” admits David. “One incident involved a staff member leaving a tractor driven effluent pump running overnight, while another saw a sand trap overflow during an extremely heavy rainfall for this area. We’ve learned from this and taken steps to ensure these types of things don’t happen again.” David says the current appeal centres on how evidence provided was not included in the judgement, misinterpretation of clear facts, concerns about regulatory consistency and a basic understanding of modern farming systems. He expresses frustration with what he sees as inconsistent interpretations of consent conditions by Environment Southland and across New Zealand. A specific issue of concern is being prosecuted for farm race runoff following heavy rain with the court thinking it is from an effluent system that has no record of being operated The company argues the case has broader implications for the entire sector, particularly for operations that invest heavily in environmental protection. “This appeal is about more than just Gladvale,” says David. “It’s about ensuring that farming operations that invest heavily in doing the right thing are treated fairly by the regulatory system. The sector needs clear, evidence-based and consistent decision-making, especially when penalties of this scale are involved.” He says Gladvale will continue expanding its sustainability initiatives including ongoing riparian planting programmes, water quality monitoring and investigations into methane-reducing feed additives. The operation has invested in generating renewable energy, transitioning away from fossil fuels and supporting research through organisations like the Southern Dairy Hub.
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