Selwyn_Times: February 14, 2024

Wednesday February 14 2024 Selwyn Times
• By Daniel Alvey
A FARMER has pleaded guilty to
two charges from Environment
Canterbury for breaching the
Resource Management Act.
Lawton Giltrap farms and
operates a vehicle-wrecking yard
on his Curries Rd, Springston
South, property.
He appeared in the
Christchurch District Court
where he pleaded guilty to two
charges relating to an incident in
November 2021.
An ECan spokesperson said
the first charge was for using
land in a manner that contravened
the Canterbury Land and
Water Regional Plan. Giltrap had
allowed stock unrestricted access
to the bed and banks of a river
within the Selwyn Te Waihora
sub region and any associated
discharge that was not at a permanent
stock crossing point,
resulting in pugging. devegetation
and exposed bare earth in
the bed, including the banks of
the river.
The second charge was for
permitting the discharge of dairy
effluent from a cow onto land
which may have resulted in that
contaminant entering the water.
A third charge, withdrawn
by ECan, was for grazing and
raising cattle on a property that
was over 10ha in the Selwyn Te
Waihora sub region phosphorus
sediment risk area without a
farming land use consent.
“Mr Giltrap has applied for a
farming land use consent,” the
spokesperson said.
Giltrap is scheduled to be
sentenced on April 12 in the
district court.
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Guilty plea after breaching
of environment regulations
BREACH: Lawton Giltrap pleaded guilty to two charges of
breaching the Resource Management Act.
The Selwyn District Council is
also taking action against Giltrap
over a separate matter.
Selwyn Times understands
it relates to berms outside his
property being ploughed and
the operation of a car wrecking
business on rural land.
In January, district council
head of regulatory Susan
Atherton said an abatement
notice to address noncompliance
with the District
Plan had been issued.
Atherton would not say what
the non-compliance related to.
“The investigation is ongoing.”
She said the abatement notice
was issued in April last year and
has a compliance date of March
31 this year.
When Selwyn Times
telephoned Giltrap for comment,
he hung up.
Selwyn Times understands
blocked drains led to flooding on
other properties and waterways
being contaminated.
ECan is also investigating “an
incident” in July last year, but
would not say what it was.
The investigation has not
yet led to a prosecution, the
spokesperson said.
In October ECan also visited
the property after dead cattle
were buried in an incorrect
location.
“Our officers provided
advice to the landowner on
how to fix the issue,” the ECan
spokesperson said.
“We received confirmation that
remediation had been completed
on 6 November 2023.
“No further enforcement
action on this matter was
deemed necessary.”
NEWS 3
In Brief
FIREFIGHTERS ABUSED
AFTER CALLOUT
Lincoln firefighters were
verbally abused after they
were called to a house in
Lincoln where fireworks were
being let off. The brigade
responded to the Ormond
Rd address around 9pm on
Friday after a call from a
concerned neighbour. Chief
fire officer Richie Bee said
they were verbally abused by
the homeowners. Due to the
current conditions, fireworks
and sky lanterns are banned
across the Canterbury and
Kaikōura regions until further
notice. FENZ Canterbury
community risk manager Dean
Harker said their team would
be speaking to the homeowners.
Harker said they can prosecute
people who breach fire bans, but
are yet to decide in this case.
LUCKY ESCAPE AFTER
POWER LINES CUT
A man chainsawing wilding
pines near the Craigieburn
Valley Ski Area was uninjured
after cutting one of the power
cables feeding the skifield. The
sparks from the cable started
several small spot fires, which
were put out by the Sheffield
Volunteer Fire Brigade. Chief
fire officer Alan Mathewson
said the man was lucky not to
be electrocuted.
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