Reza Abdul-Jabbar, a Southland dairy farmer, faces potential fines of up to $1.8 million after breaching environmental regulations, including unauthorised discharge of contaminants. His company, Marshall Road Farm, was found non-compliant with effluent management and silage storage, despite previous environmental claims. Abdul-Jabbar’s defense highlights contractor oversight but stresses quick actions to address the issues.
A Southland dairy farmer, Reza Abdul-Jabbar, has admitted to breaching environmental regulations after a series of violations at his farm, Marshall Road Farm (formerly Rural Practice Ltd). Abdul-Jabbar and his company appeared in the Environment Court in Invercargill on November 7, 2024, facing four charges under New Zealand’s Resource Management Act, including two counts of unauthorised discharges of contaminants and two counts of breaching an abatement notice.
The potential fines for these charges could total up to $1.8 million. Abdul-Jabbar, who has previously been in the spotlight for his role in Fonterra and the Department of Conservation’s Living Water project, is no stranger to controversy. Earlier this year, he was fined $215,000 after the Employment Relations Authority found he had underpaid three immigrant workers and falsified pay records to cover it up.
The environmental breaches were discovered during a routine inspection in March 2024, when Environment Southland received complaints about cows being in the Waituna Stream, located near the Awarua Wetlands. Following this, an abatement notice was issued, but further inspections revealed ongoing issues, including silage leachate leaking onto the soil, and a malfunctioning effluent pump that allowed contaminated liquid to spill onto the road. Despite efforts to repair the pump and address the issues, the farm’s environmental compliance remained unsatisfactory.
Abdul-Jabbar’s defense counsel, Emma Stewart, argued that her client was not aware of the problems caused by the contractor managing the farm. She emphasized that Abdul-Jabbar had acted quickly to resolve the issues once notified, including upgrading the effluent system and relocating the silage stack to a concrete pad. However, the prosecutor for Environment Southland, Emma Pairman, highlighted the lack of backup systems and said Abdul-Jabbar should have been more vigilant in overseeing farm operations.
This case is a stark reminder of the importance of adherence to environmental regulations in the dairy industry, with serious financial and reputational consequences. Judge Prudence Steven KC has reserved her sentencing decision, expected to be delivered next week.
Company/Organization Brief
Marshall Road Farm, previously known as Rural Practice Ltd, is a Southland-based dairy farming operation that has recently been in the spotlight for both environmental and employment-related breaches. Despite previous efforts to promote sustainability, the farm has faced significant penalties for non-compliance with industry regulations.
