Latest news with #LibbyCaldwell
Otago Daily Times
02-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
$2m fund revealed
A new fund aims to support environmental outcomes. The Otago Regional Council recently approved a new $2 million annual fund. Initially pooled from council reserves, it will be available for any community-led environmental project in Otago. The new fund is separate from the regional council's annual Eco Fund. Environmental implementation manager Libby Caldwell said the council was developing eligibility criteria and would take a leadership role in the funding system, but the aim was for communities to lead local action to achieve sustained environmental outcomes. "This fund is targeted at large-scale environmental projects which have intergenerational impacts, local leadership and action which is driven by communities and alignment to ORC strategy and strategic direction." A wide variety of projects could be included such as river, stream, wetland revitalisation or restoration, wilding conifer proposals, on-ground works, biodiversity enhancement, water quality improvement, animal or plant pest control, native planting and regeneration, education as well as administrative support. Work on private farmland or forestry blocks might be eligible if projects are aligned with environmental enhancement or restoration and meet the required criteria. "Each application would be assessed on its own merits, bearing in mind Eco Fund already caters for smaller projects to some extent. "The intent of this new funding is that it would be looking at projects at a larger scale, so likely to be projects which are of a higher value and include collaborative projects." Further criteria will be developed to help potential applicants understand whether their projects are likely to be supported A two-stage process for fund allocation is being proposed. First, interested organisations would submit a registration of interest so their eligibility can be assessed. This would be followed by a more detailed proposal submitted through a request-for-proposal process. Further detail on this process will also be presented to the regional council for approval in due course, she said. Councillor and environmental delivery committee co-chairwoman Kate Wilson welcomed the decision, saying the community had shown that a large-scale catchment-wide approach was the most effective delivery model. Co-chairman and councillor Lloyd McCall said the regional council's ability to support and enable community-led environmental action at scale was an excellent opportunity. "There is already significant investment that the community are contributing to environmental outcomes and to be able to support more of this to happen on the ground is vital to enhance what we have for future generations," he said.
Scoop
28-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Annual Moving Day Reminder For Southern Dairy Farmers
Press Release – Otago Regional Council Otago Regional Councils Manager Environmental Implementation Libby Caldwell says effluent from stock trucks can put road users and adjacent waterways at risk. Southern dairy farmers are being reminded to incorporate best practices to safeguard water quality and stock transport safety when the annual stock Moving Day begins this weekend on Sunday, 1 June. Moving Day continues for several weeks after 1 June, a tradition where dairy farmers move their cows between farm properties around Otago, either herded along roads or more often by stock truck transit. Otago Regional Council's Manager Environmental Implementation Libby Caldwell says effluent from stock trucks can put road users and adjacent waterways at risk. She emphasised farmers should stand off their animals, for at least 4 to 12 hours, before transporting them. 'The focus is on farmers' standing their stock the day before moving, and for the trucking companies to then make use of the roadside effluent disposal sites around Otago,' Mrs Caldwell says. Effluent can get onto roads and become a safety hazard for other drivers and can also run off into roadside drains or pollute adjacent waterways, she says. The ORC and several local authorities now operate nine roadside effluent disposal sites across Otago, with six disposal sites on State Highway 1 between Pukeuri and Clinton, and three on inland highways, at Raes Junction, Brassknocker Rd and Tarras. Roadside stock effluent disposal sites around Otago Farmers walking their herd along a road should keep them away from roadside drains and channels, and avoid disturbed soil, to stop effluent entering adjacent waterways. Standing off green feed Cows should be stood off green feed for at least four hours, but no more than 12 hours, before they are loaded onto trucks, which helps reduce the amount of effluent on trucks. For welfare reasons, DairyNZ also recommends that a grazed-out paddock or stand-off pads are better options for standing stock, than a concrete surface, as the latter can contribute to tender feet and are not good for stock to lie down on. For general enquiries, contact the ORC's Environmental Implementation Team Catchment Advisors on 0800 474 082, or email them at catchments@
Scoop
28-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Annual Moving Day Reminder For Southern Dairy Farmers
Southern dairy farmers are being reminded to incorporate best practices to safeguard water quality and stock transport safety when the annual stock Moving Day begins this weekend on Sunday, 1 June. Moving Day continues for several weeks after 1 June, a tradition where dairy farmers move their cows between farm properties around Otago, either herded along roads or more often by stock truck transit. Otago Regional Council's Manager Environmental Implementation Libby Caldwell says effluent from stock trucks can put road users and adjacent waterways at risk. She emphasised farmers should stand off their animals, for at least 4 to 12 hours, before transporting them. 'The focus is on farmers' standing their stock the day before moving, and for the trucking companies to then make use of the roadside effluent disposal sites around Otago,' Mrs Caldwell says. Effluent can get onto roads and become a safety hazard for other drivers and can also run off into roadside drains or pollute adjacent waterways, she says. The ORC and several local authorities now operate nine roadside effluent disposal sites across Otago, with six disposal sites on State Highway 1 between Pukeuri and Clinton, and three on inland highways, at Raes Junction, Brassknocker Rd and Tarras. Farmers walking their herd along a road should keep them away from roadside drains and channels, and avoid disturbed soil, to stop effluent entering adjacent waterways. Standing off green feed Cows should be stood off green feed for at least four hours, but no more than 12 hours, before they are loaded onto trucks, which helps reduce the amount of effluent on trucks. For welfare reasons, DairyNZ also recommends that a grazed-out paddock or stand-off pads are better options for standing stock, than a concrete surface, as the latter can contribute to tender feet and are not good for stock to lie down on. For general enquiries, contact the ORC's Environmental Implementation Team Catchment Advisors on 0800 474 082, or email them at catchments@ Please report any stock truck effluent spills into waterways to the ORC's Pollution Hotline on 0800 800 033 See stock truck effluent at DairyNZ's online information on Moving Day.
