Noise part of our lifestyle, say growers

Frost-control helicopters are 'an inherent part' of grape-growing. Warren Buckland / Hawke's Bay Today

Conflict between "the right to farm and the right to lifestyle" must be resolved, says the outgoing chairman of NZ Winegrowers.

Brian Vieceli said an increasing number of complaints were being made to councils by lifestyle block owners about noise and other environmental issues associated with routine vineyard operations.

"There must be a reasonable solution somewhere given leadership from the highest levels of government that will protect our ability to grow grapes and make wine in a sustainable and internationally competitive manner," he told a wine industry conference last week.

Vieceli told the Business Herald activities such as spraying, and noise from harvesters and helicopters used for frost control, were an "inherent" part of wine production.

"They create environmental effects, but they're part and parcel of growing wine."

Growers were concerned about "undue constraints on our ability to do things in a responsible way".

Complaints were becoming a bigger issue as the industry grew, Vieceli said. It would be good to have uniform national standards on environmental issues, as different regions could have different rules. Some councils were good to work with but others were not.

"It's becoming more essential that decent thought processes are put in place so that everybody knows where they stand."