By McKNIGHT Sam ENVIRONMENT SOUTHLAND has put several dairy farmers on notice because of their repeat dirty dairying discharges. Council compliance manager Mark Hunter said a disturbing trend had emerged among some farmers who were beginning to build up a non- compliance history.

On the third occasion a farm his family owned was convicted for dirty dairying last year, Alan Crafar announced he had appointed one of his sons as an effluent manager, responsible for ensuring systems on all his farms were "right".

By SHARPE, Marty THE award-winning managers of New Zealand's largest dairy herd are facing three charges of illegally discharging dairy effluent.

One term guaranteed to raise the hackles in both town and country is dirty dairying. To its largely urban critics, dairying means profligate water use and effluent contamination.

By HUBBARD, Anthony; LAUGESEN, Ruth The dairy industry is booming and helping make New Zealand richer, but at what cost to our clean, green environment? Anthony Hubbard and Ruth Laugesen report.