Big win for high country irrigators in Five Farms decision

Big win for high country irrigators in Five Farms decision
By Pattrick Smellie Aug. 23 (BusinessDesk) - The destruction of native vegetation by irrigation has been upheld in a landmark High Court decision for development of land in dry, high country catchments such as the Mackenzie country. Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society took corporate farmer Five Farms and the Waitaki District Council to court for a judicial review of the council's granting "conditional certificates of compliance" to high country farming operations. The practice allows farmers to avoid requiring a resource consent to develo...