A senior Environment Court judge has indicated that fines for farmers who offend against environmental laws are currently too low and should be raised.

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Sentencing two farmers in Invercargill, Environment Southland counsel Barry Slowley commented that Judge Jon Jackson, of Christchurch, noted when imposing the fine that the tariffs for that type of offending were too low and future offenders may find the starting point was a fine in the vicinity of NZ$8,000 (US$3,920) to NZ$12,000.


Slowley made these comments as he fined Michael Avery, a dairy farm manager from Castle Rock, NZ$1350 for dumping dead cattle in a gravel pit.


The act as a deterrent, higher penalties should probably be imposed, Slowley indicated. He considered that the lower end of penalties for the incorrect disposal of dairy effluent should start at NZ$4,000.

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