The operators of two dairy farms have been fined a total of $40,000 for effluent leaks into the Lake Rotorua catchment.

Fanatastic Farms Ltd was fined $10,000 each on four separate charges of discharging effluent into a watercourse.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chief Executive Bill Bayfield says the sentencing reflects tougher new penalties for effluent non-compliance introduced late last year.

“I think with the number of dairy farmers we have in the region, you’re always going to have some who are struggling to meet the standards. We always have a couple of cases on the go, which is disappointing but I think it’s just a part of life.

"The new rules I think will convince people that there’s no easy way out, you can no longer say ‘I was calving’, or ‘it was wet’, or ‘my workers were sick’. These are responsibilities that apply to a farm all the time.”

Fantastic Farms has since spent $60,000 improving its effluent systems.