Southland Farmers Given 18-Month Freshwater Farm Plan Reprieve
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.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says the new regulations replace a "one-size-fits-all rule", instead opting for local decision-making based on local risks and conditions.
"The previous approach was widely seen as inflexible and, in some regions, disproportionate to the environmental benefit," McClay says.
Regulation 17 of the Resource Management (Stock Exclusion) Regulations, which relates to natural wetlands that support threatened species, has been amended so that it no longer applies to beef cattle and deer that are not intensively grazing.
The previous rule required all stock to be excluded from natural wetlands supporting threatened species, regardless of farming intensity.
Regional councils and unitary authorities remain responsible for managing and enforcing stock exclusion rules and may adopt stock exclusion requirements in their regional plans.
Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a well-managed, low-intensity grazing regime near a wetland provides continuous, natural weed control which can replace the need for chemicals.
“The costs of protecting the area could be out of proportion to the environmental gain," Hoggard says. "This is why we are focusing more on delivering fit-for-purpose farm plans where the actions are more tailored to the risks on-farm and the specific catchment, rather than a one size fits all regime from Wellington."
The amendment is part of a suite of changes this Government has made to Stock Exclusion Regulations and national direction under the Resource Management Act.
