Dairy farms in the Southwest get a good mark from EPA

Dairy farm inspections by officers from EPA Victoria have found farmers are doing a reasonable job of taking care of the environment in the southwest.

The team from EPA inspected 10 farms around Deen Maar and Budj Bim, between Port Fairy, Portland and Hamilton. The farms were targeted due to their proximity to culturally significant landscapes and waterways.

EPA Southwest Regional Manager Martha-Rose Loughnane says the farmers were generally welcoming of the officers’ presence and most were supportive of conversations around protecting cultural values, especially the farms around the Budj Bim cultural site.

“They were on top of their dairy operations and effluent management, proactively reducing effluent levels and maintaining ponds, pumps and irrigation systems,” Ms Loughnane said.

“We did some regulatory work, but did not have to issue any fines,” she said.

The team issued compliance advice on six farms in relation to bunding and containment for above ground fuel storage tanks, small tyre storage registrations, farm waste management and storage, and handling of effluent.

“We issued one remedial notice requiring maintenance of a dairy effluent system, the farmer complied, and the notice was revoked,” Ms Loughnane said.

“Proper management of dairy effluent is important to protecting the surrounding environment which can hold significant values to our Traditional Owners, so we were very pleased with the outcome and the positive response from the industry,” she said.

EPA will continue its role in inspecting dairy farms throughout 2026 to ensure risks to human health and the environment are appropriately managed.