Changes to the Waikato Regional Council (WRC) regional plan are the first step towards meeting the Healthy Rivers vision and strategy for the Waikato River over the next 80 years.
Even in the current hearings phase of the process, farmers still need to be preparing for the changes the notified plan will bring.
How it impacts you
Most farmers will be required to complete and implement a Farm Environment Plan (FEP) and submit a nitrogen reference point (NRP) for their property or enterprise.
In no more than 18 months, FEP registrations must be in for all properties over 2ha; and landowners with properties over 20ha (including commercial vegetable operations) must have submitted their NRPs to the regional council.
At least 10,000 properties will be required to register, and 5000 properties will need nutrient budgets for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
Putting your best foot forward
What you should be doing right now, if it’s not already done:
Check your property on the WRC website to confirm your obligations
Start work to complete your 2014-15 and 2015-16 NRP with a certified nutrient management advisor as soon as possible
Keep good management records to make NRP calculations easier and more accurate.
What’s a nitrogen reference point?
NRP refers to information on a property’s nitrogen leaching losses, calculated using Overseer or another approved model. Under the proposed plan change, people farming properties 20ha or larger, and all commercial vegetable operations, must calculate a NRP.
Nutrient budgets explained
Nutrient budgets can be produced for many different purposes.
The nutrient budget required for regional council regulations will differ from the ‘predictive’ nutrient budget your fertiliser representative may produce, or the ‘year-end’ nutrient report required by your milk company, where the stipulated level of accuracy varies according to its purpose.
You must compile a nutrient budget that meets WRC’s regulations for your NRP calculation for the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons, which is the reference period for the plan.
WRC nutrient budget requirements for compliance are:
Complete nutrient budget in the latest version of Overseer
Data supplied is verified. (Ravensdown’s database and technologies ensure the data used for the nutrient budgets is accurate and verifiable)
Nutrient budgets must be done by a certified nutrient management adviser using the Best Practice Data Input Standards.
• Adrian Brocksopp is Ravensdown’s principal environmental consultant. This article first appeared in Ravensdown Ground Effect, autumn edition.
