Regional councils will need to take more action to prevent farmers putting effluent into waterways or face Government intervention.

According to the eighth annual review of the Clean Streams Accord the proportion of farms breaching their resource consents has increased to 16%.

 In the Waikato serious effluent breaches have leapt by 27%.  Non-compliance in Northland is still about one quarter of all farms.

However in Canterbury serious effluent breaches have more than halved.

Agriculture Minister David Carter says Canterbury has significantly improved its performance since commissioners were appointed last year but the Government won't stand by and let councils shirk their responsibilities.

Local Government New Zealand spokesperson Fran Wilde says most councils are improving and the few that are not will be aware of the problem.

“Waikato has got a grip on it now, and they’re doing very well, as the next figures will show.  Eight of the regional councils are actually in single digits for significant non compliance, and that’s very good.

"So my message to farmers and the feds and Fonterra is, we know who these non compliers are. Everybody has to put pressure on them to improve their performance, it can’t just be left to the regional councils.”