Dairy effluent

Under Rule 73 of our Natural Resources Plan , the discharge of any collected agricultural effluent is a controlled activity, if the following conditions are met:

• The discharge is not located in a community drinking water supply protection area, or within 20 metres of a surface water body or the coastal marine area, a potable bore, a property boundary (unless agreement is obtained)
• The collection, storage and treatment facilities are sealed
• The capacity of storage and treatment facilities is sufficient to provide for deferred irrigation  
• The discharge of odour is not offensive or objectionable beyond the property boundary  

If you can meet these conditions, your consent application is processed in the following manner:

1. The application is processed as non-notified (unless special circumstances exist)
2. Only certain matters are controlled (with consent conditions)  
3. The consent is required to be granted  

For further assistance, or to set up a pre-application meeting, call 0800 493 734. You can also access forms at our forms and information requirements webpage. 

When considering a new or upgraded effluent management system we recommend that you use a qualified professional from the Farm Dairy Effluent System Design Accreditation Programme.  

There are numerous helpful resources relating to dairy effluent management at the Dairy NZ website.