The plans aim to improve the country's fresh water. Photo / NZME
The plans aim to improve the country's fresh water. Photo / NZME
A new requirement for farms over a certain size to have a freshwater farm plan has come into effect in parts of the Waikato and Southland, with other regions to follow over the next two years.
In the Waikato region, the requirement was being phased in by catchment, starting with Waipā on August 1 to align “as best as possible” with the pending implementation of Proposed Plan Change 1, the Waikato Regional Council said.
The rollout of regulations for the Hauraki freshwater management area is not until January 1, 2025, while the date for the Coromandel freshwater management area is July 1, 2025.
Once the regulations are activated in their catchment, farm operators will have 18 months to develop and submit their first freshwater farm plan for certification, meaning farmers in the Hauraki and Coromandel catchments would need to submit theirs by July 1, 2026, and January 1, 2027, respectively.
Waikato Regional Council chairwoman Pamela Storey said: “Our region’s food production is highly valued and it is highly reliant on fresh water.
“Farmers in our region have made great strides over the years to clean up our waterways and revive wetlands – but there’s still some way to go.
“That’s where freshwater farm plans come in. The new system introduces a more tailored and risk-based approach to farm planning that recognises every farm is different and moves away from one-size-fits-all solutions.”
all pastoral or arable land use of more than 20 hectares
all horticultural land use of 5 hectares or more
or any combination of these land uses equal to or greater than 20 hectares.
Regional council resource use director Brent Sinclair said: “We’re working closely with the farming sector, Ministry for the Environment, our iwi partners and other key stakeholders to support the transition to the new system.
Farms over a certain size will need to have a freshwater farm plan with the regulations phased in over the next two years. Image / Supplied
“One of our key roles is to work with our partners to make sure farmers have the information they need to navigate the new system, and to make available the catchment-specific information to reflect in their farm plans,” Sinclair said.
“Over time, freshwater farm plans are expected to become the central tool for farmers and growers to manage all their freshwater regulatory requirements.”
The council said a freshwater farm plan must identify the risks of adverse effects from farming activities on freshwater or freshwater ecosystems, and set out actions that avoid, remedy, or mitigate those risks. Farm plans would also need to be certified and audited.
Beef + Lamb, Federated Farmers, DairyNZ and Deer Industry New Zealand sent a letter to the Government calling for greater clarity on the timeframes and asked how existing regional or sector plans would be integrated with the new ones, RNZ reported in June.
DairyNZ chairman Jim van der Poel said many farmers already had good practices on-farm for protecting waterways.
“The sector needs more detail on how existing regional, industry and sector-led plans will transition to regulated freshwater farm plans over reasonable timeframes.”
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford said farmers needed certainty on the rules so they were fair and practical as they were rolled out, RNZ reported.
“We don’t want to see excessive costs heaped on to farmers who are already under significant financial pressure, or unnecessary duplication of the work that’s gone into existing industry or regional plans,” Langford said.
“This needs to be a carefully managed process with a sensible transition.”
Meanwhile, Waipā-King Country regional councillor and farmer Stu Kneebone said: “Freshwater farm plans will build on the great work that many farmers ... across our region are already doing to identify and reduce the risks of farming activities to freshwater and ecosystems.
“Both the Waikato and Southland opted for a phased rollout within the parameters set by the Ministry for the Environment. This enables us to better support farmers and reflects a range of important factors, including the strength of local support networks and different catchments’ familiarity with farm planning concepts.
“It’s also intended to help simplify things for farmers where possible, with areas that are more likely to undertake intensive winter grazing, for example, going earlier so that winter grazing can be factored into farm plans rather than requiring a consent.”
