‘Moving Day’ for the Southern dairy sector begins this coming week and the Otago Regional Council (ORC) is reminding farmers and truck companies to use best practices to safeguard water quality and transport safely when moving stock.

‘Moving Day’ (which starts from June 1 and goes for several weeks) is traditionally when dairy cows and farmers move between farm properties, either in herds by road or more often by stock truck.

The ORC’s emphasis is on standing stock the day prior to moving, and for trucking companies to use roadside effluent disposal sites.

ORC compliance manager Tami Sargeant said effluent from stock trucks can put road users and adjacent waterways at risk, and asks farmers to stand off their animals prior to transporting them. 

She said effluent can get onto roads and become a safety hazard for other drivers and can run off into roadside drains, or pollute adjacent waterways.

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.

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.

Farmers walking a herd along a road should keep them away from roadside drains, and avoid disturbed soil, to stop effluent entering waterways.

For welfare reasons, DairyNZ also recommends that a grazed-out paddock or stand-off pad 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. 

Road users can report stock truck effluent spills by contacting the ORC’s Pollution Hotline on 0800 800 033.