CHB landowners face fines if farm plans not completed

Any property owner who owns 10 or more hectares needs an FEMP in place by May 31 under Tukituki Plan Change 6 (PC6).

Hawke's Bay Regional Council is remaining tight-lipped about how hard it will come down on landowners in the Tukituki catchment who have not completed their farm environment management plans (FEMP) by the end of the month.

In March the council warned it would be taking a "hard line stance" against any landowner who did not have a farm plan in place by the May 31 deadline, with fines of up to $300,000 possible.

Though the warning has resulted in more farm plans being submitted since then, around 40 per cent of the total estimated number of FEMPs required are yet to be completed.

Any property owner who owns 10 or more hectares in the catchment needs an FEMP in place by May 31 under Tukituki Plan Change 6 (PC6).

Some people who own between 4ha and 10ha will also need a FEMP, unless they are considered a low-intensity operation

At the beginning of this month, only 468 FEMPs had been completed, according to the council, with work on another 175 under way with approved providers.

However the council estimates a total of 1100 FEMPs are required to be submitted across the catchment area, meaning nearly 40 per cent are still outstanding.

The council has said that farmers who had not submitted their plans by the deadline would need to spend between $1000 to $2000 to apply for a resource consent to continue farming — which will require them to complete a FEMP anyway — or face enforcement action and fines of up to $300,000.

The regional council's Regulation Manager Liz Lambert has repeated that warning that anyone without a required FEMP will be in breach of the Tukituki Plan come May 31, and the "council will take enforcement action."

But she said the council's response could depend on the number of FEMPs outstanding and its capacity to deal with them.

"The co-operation and intent of the non-FEMP landowner to get one will also be a factor.
"We will provide more information on this in the coming weeks," she said.