Federated Farmers: Environment Southland water plan causes concern

Southland farmers are worried about decisions being made about water supply quality.

Southland farmers are worried by Environment Southland's decision-making around the region's water quality.

The regional council describes the draft 'Water and Land Plan' proposals as a way to halt water quality decline, while it undertakes the science and economic work needed for limit setting.

For farmers, it could result in land development being severely limited or prohibited across much of Southland's productive land. The plan could also see a restrictive resource consent regime implemented for normal farming activities.

Federated Farmers considers plan proposals are at odds with what is known about water quality in Southland, the council's aims for the plan, and the upcoming community discussions around limit-setting.

Firstly, water quality in Southland is reasonably good, there are relatively few contaminant (mainly nitrogen) issues, and phosphorus levels are generally declining.

Given the problems in a limited number of 'hot spots', it appears excessive that the regional council would propose a region-wide framework that attempts to freeze current land use in place. This approach is at odds with the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's recommendation that regional councils focus and prioritise efforts and expenditure on vulnerable water bodies, or those under particular pressure.

Second, Environment Southland's draft plan goes further than its aim to 'hold the water quality line', as it places resource consent requirements on areas with good water quality and farming activities that have little or no effect on water quality.

Third, and most concerning, it establishes a baseline of control over farming activities which could pre-empt community limit-setting discussions. Community values and objectives have not been set, and the scientific and economic information needed to inform community discussions has not been developed.

Yet Southlanders are facing potentially drastic measures that would forever change rural people's ability to farm their land profitability and sustainably. The knock-on affects to local businesses and urban centres cannot be underestimated.

With all this at stake, Federated Farmers will be devoting its Southland policy resources, assisted by the newly formed Water Policy Team, over the next few months to try and get workable provisions in the draft plan for farmers.

We don't want farmers to go through expensive and time consuming consenting processes and/or invest significant funds changing farm systems or infrastructure before the community limit-setting process.