Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Don't spray and annoy your rural neighbours

By Nicolette Brodnax
Te Awamutu Courier·
26 Jun, 2019 11:10 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Spraying disputes are a common source of tension between neighbours living in the country. Photo / File

Spraying disputes are a common source of tension between neighbours living in the country. Photo / File

The country can be a great place to live. Waipa has its fair share of residential properties that are 'pepper-potted' through agricultural areas which, however scenic, are also working farms.

Sometimes the expectations of residential property owners and those of agricultural producers working on their property can come into conflict.

This is especially acute where spraying is concerned. Spraying disputes are a common source of tension between neighbours living in the country.

It can help to avoid these tensions if everyone knows their rights and obligations. Three simple things can go a long way to keeping the peace.

Understand your obligations. The law governing the spraying of agricultural chemicals is governed by the Waikato Regional Plan and is a permitted activity provided certain conditions are met.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

What those conditions are, change depending on variables such as the distance from the neighbour's boundary and spray method. The plan also says what doesn't count as a discharge to air because it is considered too minor.

What those who spray always have to remember is that a 'permitted activity' is only permitted if those conditions are met in full.

It is not the same as "as of right" or an entitlement. If one of the conditions is missed, your spraying operation is not a permitted activity at all; it becomes by default a 'controlled activity'.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

A controlled activity requires prior consent from the Regional Council before spraying begins; and can be subject to penalties if you don't so, if you are unclear on your obligations, get some advice before you spray.

Fortunately, the conditions that anyone wishing to spray must meet to stay 'permitted' are not difficult and in fact are sometimes neighbourly common sense. The primary condition for most types of spraying is to make sure that they are that you neighbours are properly notified before you spray.

Of course the law of nuisance exists independently of the Plan and the effects of the spray must still be kept to your land.

Anyone who damages their neighbour's garden with runaway roundup is still liable.
Understand your rights. Sometimes homeowners misunderstand the fact that they must be notified to imply that they can withhold consent.

Discover more

Improving animal lives through diet and grazing

26 Jun 11:04 PM

Notification is largely intended to give them an opportunity take any steps, for example by unhooking a roof water tank or taking in the washing, not to object to the reasonable use of rural land.

Use common sense. Remember to talk to each other. Just keeping your neighbours in the loop can avoid a lot of misunderstanding and bad feeling later on.

Being on good terms with the people we live and work with is an old-fashioned courtesy and part of what makes our rural communities so special.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Waikato Herald

Meth, ammunition, homemade taser seized in dawn police raid

19 Jun 04:30 AM
Waikato Herald

Cold showers, decontamination for workers at scene of truck crash

19 Jun 04:15 AM
Waikato Herald

Our top Premium stories this year: Special offer for Herald, Viva, Listener

19 Jun 01:59 AM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Meth, ammunition, homemade taser seized in dawn police raid
Waikato Herald

Meth, ammunition, homemade taser seized in dawn police raid

19 Jun 04:30 AM

Armed Offenders Squad and drug detector dogs executed two search warrants on Wednesday.

Cold showers, decontamination for workers at scene of truck crash
Waikato Herald

Cold showers, decontamination for workers at scene of truck crash

19 Jun 04:15 AM
Our top Premium stories this year: Special offer for Herald, Viva, Listener
Waikato Herald

Our top Premium stories this year: Special offer for Herald, Viva, Listener

19 Jun 01:59 AM
Devilskin, Matariki events and theatre – here's what's on in Waikato
Waikato Herald

Devilskin, Matariki events and theatre – here's what's on in Waikato

18 Jun 11:00 PM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP