Providing advice and solutions to farmers Rural Advice

Our team specialises in helping farmers improve farm nutrient efficiency. This includes effluent discharge consenting and compliance requirements as well as advice on waterway management and nutrient management planning. Our team works to help farmers understand the wider national regulations and how this may impact their farming business. They also work on the development of best practice guidelines and are available to attend and assist at various field days and training days in our region.

Although the team have traditionally worked largely in the dairy sector, they are also happy to work with other agricultural or horticultural sectors to help improve efficiency, productivity and profitability in our region. This includes effluent discharge consenting and compliance requirements as well as advice on waterway management and nutrient management planning.

They're also able to advise and assist with the development of best practice guidelines and assistance at various field and training days. Please contact the team here, or on freephone 0508 800 800 for advice.

Tips and tools

There is a Dairy Effluent Storage Calculator available online that accounts for the impact of factors affecting the quantity of storage required on a dairy farm to successfully practice irrigation. Our rural advice team would like to remind farmers to use this tool when planning storage upgrades or calculating the volume of workable storage required for a dairy effluent discharge consent.

You'll find rules regarding offal pits in our One Plan, on page 3-89 (Rule LF-LW-R13).

There are also a number of helpful factsheets available on the Rural Farming Compliance Information page such as an irrigator depth quick test guide and top tips for dairy compliance. If you’re after something that isn’t provided here, give the team a call - find their numbers below, or call freephone 0508 800 800.