For more than a decade, neighbours to Green Land (Dairy) Farm, located in Smith’s on government-owned land, have been asking the same question: when will the rules apply equally to everyone?

In 2017, when the farm became an industrial dairy operation, there were clear concerns raised by the departments of health, planning, and environment and natural resources, in particular about manure management: run-off, odour and environmental impact.

One of those concerns was an uncovered sewage pit that was built against departmental advice. Approval was still given on the basis that those risks would be addressed with a manure management plan. They were not.

Early on, the problems began with sewage run-off, persistent noxious odours, flies and vermin. The issues did not stop when the farm changed hands in 2018.

The sewage run-off, persistent noxious odours, flies and vermin became part of daily life for the people living near by and users of the Railway Trail and have continued to the present day.

What has changed is the neighbouring community’s increasing level of frustration at being held hostage to a farm that is causing suffering to them without being held accountable. Residents have reported incidents to the respective government departments in accordance with complaint procedures, through e-mails and phone calls. They attended numerous meetings with representatives from government departments and with me as their MP.

For more than ten years they have been told by the Government that “we’re working on it”. Yet the problem persists.

The operators still have not been brought before the courts or sanctioned for the environmental violations. The residents, neighbours and users of the Railway Trail are understandably tired, frustrated and angry that their property and rights are not being protected while the farm operation continues its production and making profits while they suffer.

This isn’t a case of people not speaking up. It’s a case of nothing changing, and in some instances, this goes well beyond inconvenience. People have had sewage run into their yards and even into their homes. Furthermore, the Railway Trail, used by both locals and visitors, has also been affected by run-off from the site. When it rains, the anxiety isn’t abstract. It’s very real.

So the question becomes a simple one. If a private homeowner allowed sewage to repeatedly flow on to public land, on to the Railway Trail, near a school, into neighbouring properties, what would happen?

The expectation is that the person who was causing the problem would be ordered to fix it and if they did not, there would be consequences, including fines and other sanctions. In the case of the farm, it would have its dairy licence suspended and/or revoked if the violations continued. That is how a fair and responsible system is meant to operate.

Instead, the response has largely been to manage the situation rather than enforce the rules. More concerning is that public money is being used to deal with the effects of the problem, instead of requiring the operator to bear the costs of fixing the cause of the problem.

In fact, on September 26, 2025, the Government issued a request for quotations for “Mitigation of Agricultural Run-off from Green Land Dairy, Smith’s Parish” meaning taxpayers are now being asked to fund the consequences of a problem that was identified years ago. That is where this stops being about a farm and starts being about fairness.

This is not just a private business. This is a business operating on public land. The Government is the landlord. That comes with a responsibility, not just to lease the land, but to ensure it is used responsibly and, most importantly, that its operation does not harm the surrounding community.

Right now, the perception is that a commercial operator is being allowed to continue harming and causing nuisance to the neighbourhood and users of the Railway Trail and the public will be forced to pay to fix the problem. The public did not cause the problem but yet they are being further punished by having to pay for the fix while the business operator continues to make a profit. It would seem that the stench of manure is not just coming from the farm.

To be clear, this is not an attack on farming. Agriculture matters. Local food production matters. However, if an activity is causing continuing harm to the environment, neighbouring properties and the community, at what point do we stop trying to manage the issue and start asking whether the model itself is working?

Milk production does not get a special exemption from that question. Perhaps the Government could explore eliminating the embargo on importing fresh milk? At present, Bermuda imports the majority of what we consume. Dairy products can be sourced, processed and distributed using infrastructure that already exists. Even this operation depends heavily on imported feed.

So this is not about whether Bermuda can function without one specific farm. The question is, is this particular set-up, in this location, under these conditions, sustainable and appropriate? If producing milk is coming at the cost of environmental damage, repeated public intervention and continuing disruption to residents, then it is entirely reasonable to ask whether the balance is right.

If an activity is causing harm to people, property and the environment, why is it being allowed to continue without consequence, especially when there are safer, workable alternatives? For example, a green farm, with goats that could promote a healthy diet and lower food and healthcare costs.

After more than a decade, the residents are still asking for the Government to make the responsible choice to take action that is fair and reasonable to address this longstanding issue. That does not include having the community pay for fixing a private (for profit) business’s sewage problem.

The residents and community are reasonably asking for the Government to set clear standards, to enforce the laws and regulations, and to hold violators accountable with graduated sanctions. Anything less will only enable the offensive behaviour.

Because in the end, this isn’t about milk. It’s about taking responsibility, being held accountable and being treated fairly.

• Robert King is the Shadow Minister of Justice and One Bermuda Alliance MP for Smith’s North