Stern response to environmental activist's winter grazing post

Activist Geoff Reid's photo of winter grazing in a paddock in Southland this week. Photo / Facebook

Winter grazing in Southland is once again in the spotlight, following social media posts from an environmental activist.

The posts, though, have brought a stern reply from some Environment Southland councillors.

Activist Geoff Reid took some photos of weather-worn Southland farms, some of which look to have been taken by drone.

"This farm is currently spilling runoff into a freshly dug trench that is draining a large peat wetland.

"Pollution is flowing into the Eglinton River and causing havoc in Lake Te Anau," he posted on Monday.

The topic itself was brought up at an Environment Southland meeting yesterday.

Councillor Lloyd McCallum said social media was alive with discussion on the practice of winter grazing in Southland.

He knew it would come, but cautioned it needed a careful response.

"It's very easy to light the fire but it's hard to put it out sometimes."

He warned it would only get worse.

Councillor Jeremy McPhail said, while attending a meeting with the Environmental Reference Group, there was a lack of understanding about Southland farms and wintering practices from some North Island farmers.

"They were making assumptions."

Fellow councillor Allan Baird informed colleagues the Federated Farmers dairy executives visited the region last week to get that understanding.

Councillor Peter McDonald positioned himself as devil's advocate.

"I've been doing this practice for 35 years. I've done it all, made all the mistakes.

"I hear it quite often people don't understand us in Southland, we need to educate people more."

"Is it us? Or is it everyone else?"

Strategy and Policy Committee chairman Eric Roy outlined his experiences.

"I've been farming a little bit longer than you. I've kept a good record of what happens."

In 1972, there were 10 days akin to Monday this week.

"Ten days when the best practice still ends up with things that aren't pretty."

There was always a plethora of people posting to social media after a weather event such as on Monday, and he was not sure how to handle that.

"But that is the reality of farming in Southland."

Offering a non-farmer perspective, councillor Robert Guyton said he did not believe there would be any getting around it, unless there was significant land-use change.

He said that was unpalatable and was why people went to social media.

"They can't come to terms with that."