Sustainable development within the dairy industry is top of mind for the Dairy for Healthy Estuaries team which has been working with local governments in the dairying regions of Western Australia (WA).
When dairy farms are upgrading or building infrastructure, it is an opportunity to make sure dairy effluent does not discharge to groundwater or surface water or create nuisance odours or impacts off farm.
“When designing a new milking shed, farmers should carefully consider effluent storage and reuse as part of that plan. Local governments can help make sure the plan follows best practices when they receive a development application,” said Dairy Project Officer Niamh Rayne.
Earlier in the year, 25 officers from local governments across South-west WA attended an online workshop with Western Dairy and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (the department) on dairy effluent management. The workshop introduced a new checklist and set of guidelines to support officers assessing development applications for dairy farms.
Applicants can use the checklist to demonstrate that they have planned for managing dairy effluent, and local government officers can use the checklist to see where the standards in the Code of Practice for Dairy Farm Effluent WA have been met.
Read the checklist and guidelines, alongside the Code of Practice booklet and other resources on the department’s website.
Western Dairy Project Manager Dan Parnell noted: “The work we do with local governments in the development planning phase is important. It gives farmers confidence that they are investing in the right infrastructure and management practices to achieve all necessary standards and future-proof their business.”
In September, local government officers will have the opportunity to visit a few dairy farms and learn more about effluent management in a practical setting.
