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New Feds Southland president Chris Dillon.
Southland farmers staring down a May deadline to submit freshwater farm plans under current regional plan rules have been given an 18-month reprieve by the Government.
The Southland Water and Land Plan (Regional Plan) currently requires farmers to prepare and submit a farm plan by 27 May 2026 before improvements to the national freshwater farm plan system are finalised.
However, last week Cabinet decided that Southland farmers and growers will now have until the end of November 2027 to submit their farm plan and benefit from the updated system.
The extension makes sure Southland farmers remain compliant with the regulations.
Southland Federated Farmers president Chris Dillon told Dairy News that the government announcement is "a big relief" for the regions 3400 farmers.
"The extra time will mean national and regional farm planning systems are well aligned to avoid duplication and unnecessary costs to farmers," Dillon says.
Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard says the announcement gives farmers the clarity they deserve.
"Southland farmers were staring down a May 2026 deadline to submit farm plans under the current regional system," says Hoggard.
"That would have meant wasting time and money on a whole lot of complex paperwork that simply won't be needed under our updated national rules. That is the definition of pointless bureaucracy."
Hoggard says farmers' efforts wouldn't go to waste.
"We are bringing in a new, improved national system. This extension ensures farmers won't spend time and money complying with old rules when better ones are on the way."
The Government is introducing a slimmed-down system that strips back the most frustrating parts, like overly bureaucratic land blocking and mapping, according to Hoggard.
He says the new legislation will deliver clear expectations.
"We are clarifying exactly what farming activities need a certified plan, cutting out the fluff.
"Farmers should be out on the land producing world-class food and fibre, not stuck at the kitchen table trying to decipher red tape. We're getting the rules sorted and getting Wellington out of the way."
Environment Southland chair Jeremy McPhail says the extension gives farmers and growers more time to finalise strong farm plans and make good use of the support available as the updated national settings are finalised.
"Farm plans remain an important part of improving freshwater outcomes, and this extension gives farmers extra time to continue developing plans that are practical, well-informed and tailored to their property and catchment.
"Farm plans are here to stay, and most farm operations in Southland will still need one."
McPhail says Environment Southland had supported the need for farm plans for a long time as a way for farmers to demonstrate environmental responsibility and increase the uptake of mitigations.
"These are one of the key tools in Southland for improving water quality across our catchments."
He said farm plans remain an important tool for identifying practical actions on-farm, reducing environmental risk, and driving year-on-year environmental improvements.
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