A Waikato company and a landowner have both received a formal warning after admitting they breached rules designed to protect Lake Taupo from nitrogen leaching.

Waikato Regional Council farming services manager Nicole Botherway says the 'complicated case” saw the company grazing stock for at least a month on land designated solely for forestry.

A company and a landowner have both received formal warnings after allowing stock to graze on land designated for forestry only near Lake Taupo.

This means the amount of nitrogen leached from the land into the lake could have exceeded the permitted amount.

'There has been a very significant public investment in the protection of Lake Taupo and it's important we hold people to account when they breach the rules,” says Nicole.

'A warning is judged appropriate in this case, given the admission of fault and the amount of excess nitrogen likely to have been involved.

'But any further breaches by the parties could warrant a more significant response.”

Nicole says the formal council warnings will be taken into account should there be any other breaches in future.

This latest case follows a similar one in 2015, where a farmer who failed to meet his farming consent conditions near Taupo was also formally warned over the breach.

Nicole says the council, alongside members of the public and community organisations, are determined to protect the integrity of the rules protecting Lake Taupo.

'We will continue to respond to reports of breaches of consent conditions and take action where appropriate.

'We need the public to be our eyes and ears and, if they see cattle grazing in forestry areas, they should alert the council's Taupo office on 0800 800 401,” says Nicole.