OK, council, which one is it?
Tukituki farmers are unfairly finding themselves needing resource consent, despite meeting their individual on-farm nitrogen leaching limits.
This is triggered by a rule requiring every farmer in a sub-catchment to apply for a farm consent when the overly restrictive in-stream dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) limit is exceeded. The Mangaonuku, Kahahakuri and Papanui sub-catchments currently have this problem.
Federated Farmers was alarmed to hear that even if all farms complied with their on-farm limits, the DIN in-stream limit would still be unachievable in the subject sub-catchments. This clearly demonstrates that the DIN limit is incompatible and not linked with the farm limits.
Farmers will be expected to reduce their N-leaching profiles, yet for most this will mean reducing below what they are actually allowed.