'Cows in cubicles' plan shelved - is this the right decision?

Photo / Dean Purcell

A plan by three companies to create intensive dairy farms in South Canterbury's MacKenzie country has been shelved because the consent process is too costly.

Five Rivers Ltd, Southdown Holdings Ltd and Williamson Holdings Ltd applied to Environment Canterbury (Ecan) for farm developments in the Omarama and Ohau areas that would involve up to 17,850 cows and require the disposal of up to 1.783 million litres of dairy effluent a day.

According to the applications, up to 18,000 cows would be housed in "cubicle stables" 24 hours a day for eight months of the year, and 12 hours a day for the remaining four months.

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