Two letters on the subject of dairying in today's Southland Times, one from me and one from Invercargill Green candidate Dave Kennedy. Mine's short and cheeky, Dave's is detailed and praising of a conversion he originally opposed.
We have quite different styles, Dave and I, but similar outlooks.
Mine reads:
There's a new word being used to describe our worries about intensive dairying and digging up lignite - uddermining - as in 'we are uddermining our environment' and 'we mustn't uddermine our future'.
It's a word of warning to all New Zealanders.
Dave writes:
Two years ago I had strong objections to the dairy conversion that was proposed for a farm near Curio Bay. I felt it was an inappropriate activity to exist in an area reliant on tourism and the pristine nature of the marine environment. There were many other submissions objecting to the conversion at the time, especially when there was wide mistrust for an industry that appeared to ignore the negative environmental impacts it was causing. When consent was given for the conversion I was extremely dismayed and felt sure that, despite the stringent guidelines that were set in place, there would be serious consequences.
When the Environment Southland’s environmental awards were announced on Friday I was pleasantly surprised to see the same farm “South Coast Dairy Ltd” listed as a winner. After so much negative news regarding dairying recently it was especially good to hear a good news story and particularly around a farm that began its life under a cloud of controversy.
I would like to congratulate Chris and Lynsey Stratford for their genuine commitment to doing things properly and even enhancing the farm’s natural environment. Chris and Lynsey have demonstrated clearly that the impacts of dairying can be managed far better than is happening on many other farms and I hope others will follow their example.
9 comments:
"We have quite different styles, Dave and I, but similar outlooks."
I'm sure we are more effective because of it :-)
You 'good cop' Dave?
Going by your measured, diplomatic performance at your meeting the other day, you can hardly call yourself the "bad cop". :-)
Why thank'ee kind sir!
I'm speaking to the University of the 3rd Age this Friday and will enjoy discussing some of those issues raised at last week's meeting. Not sure if Stuart's a 3rd-ager but if he is, he'll have to be careful he doesn't get another serve from that adience - they're a sparky lot!
audience
What makes South Coast Dairy the good guys?
According to the blurb on Award's night, they doubled every provision they were required to make to protect the environment - riparian strips, effluent pond size etc. Dave looks at the world through rosier glasses than I do but I have to say, the ES guys I was sitting with said their work was definitely impressive, I'd like to go out and have a look for myself. The couple receiving the award were very nice and she spoke very well.
Witchcrafty-I still don't think that dairying is appropriate so close to Curio Bay, but if all dairy farmers operated in the same way things wouldn't be half as bad. I think you have to encourage good practice where ever it occurs.
Witchcrafty! Ha!
Mind your P's and Q's Mr Kennedy :-)
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