A further suite of regulations affecting farmers is imminent, with new indigenous biodiversity regulations likely to be law by the end of the year.
As farmers contend with new climate change and freshwater rules, a spokesperson says Associate Environment Minister James Shaw intends seeking final decisions from Cabinet on the National Policy Statement on Indigenous Biodiversity (NPS-IB) by the end of this year.
“The exposure draft process has concluded and officials are providing advice to the Minister in light of submissions received during targeted consultation in June 2022,” says a ministry spokesperson.
The policy affects the identification and management of biodiversity on public, private and Māori land, requiring owners to identify and manage significant natural areas of biodiversity.
“The requirement to protect areas of significant indigenous (SNAs) biodiversity is not new and has existed under the Resource Management Act for 30 years.
“All councils are at different stages in completing this requirement. We want all councils to do this well.”
Farming groups have major concerns with the policy but more so the timing, coinciding with new and far-reaching policies on climate change, conservation and fresh water.
Despite some changes, Beef + Lamb NZ says the criteria for assessing SNAs is still too broad, capturing virtually all areas of native biodiversity which could restrict what landowners do on a significant proportion of their farms.
There is also no clear distinction about which areas of biodiversity are genuinely significant.
“There will be perverse outcomes, and farmers who have done the most to protect and enhance indigenous biodiversity will be the most tied up in red tape as a result,” the farmer group says in a statement.
B+LNZ also has concerns with what it terms a poor quality implementation package.
“Farmers are being told they need to spend time and money maintaining biodiversity, which supports broader ecosystem services, without adequate recognition or support.”
The ministry spokesperson says the NPS-IB is part of a plan to reverse declining biodiversity.
The policy aims to provide a consistent approach to identifying and managing biodiversity and giving councils clear, consistent policy directions for improving its management.
“It aims to protect, maintain and restore our indigenous biodiversity.”
The initial implementation of the NPS-IB covers ten years.
Budget funding was secured earlier this year to support landowners to manage biodiversity on private land but the ministry is also looking for additional support measures and incentives to support landowners to protect, restore and manage biodiversity.
