The government will next month introduce amendments to the Resource Management Act to remove winter grazing and stock exclusion regulations.
Chris Bishop, the minister responsible for reforming the Resource Management Act, said the Bill will reduce the regulatory burden on consent applicants and support development in sectors such as farming, mining and other primary industries.
The move has been welcomed by Federated Farmers as “government ends war on farming” and by Beef + Lamb NZ (BLNZ) for correcting legislation that was based on a one-size-fits-all approach, which it said was problematic and impractical.
The amendment initiates five changes and includes:
• A review and replacement of the National Policy Statement on Freshwater
• Resource consent applicants will no longer need to demonstrate that proposed activities follow the Te Mana o te Wai water quality hierarchy
• Amendments to stock exclusion regulations on sloped land
• The repeal of intensive winter grazing regulations
• The suspension for three years of the NPS-Indigenous biodiversity requirement for councils to identify new Significant Natural Areas.
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said management of stock exclusion and winter grazing will be more risk-based and catchment-focused, using non-regulatory measures such as Freshwater Farm Plans.
“We’re proposing to remove the problematic and contentious low slope map and for regional councils and farmers to determine where stock need to be excluded, based on risk.”
He said sector groups will continue to work alongside farmers.
McClay said regional councils have noticed significant improvements in winter grazing practices, with farmers changing where they plant fodder crops and how they manage winter grazing.
The changes means an estimated 10,000 farmers will not have to obtain consent for winter grazing for next year. This will instead be managed through good practice and regional council plans.
Federated Farmers freshwater spokesperson Colin Hurst described the regulations that are being removed as “a complete nightmare” that were so devoid of practical reality they required eight government amendments in three years and were still unworkable.
Hurst also welcomed the removal of the blanket rule requiring extensive sheep and beef properties to fence their waterways to exclude livestock by July next year.
“Fencing streams on extensive properties with low stocking rates has the potential to cost farmers hundreds of thousands of dollars, for very little environmental gain.”
The previous government had two attempts at mapping where sheep and beef farmers need to fence streams and, Hurst said, they still could not get it right.
He said regional councils could not process the volume of consent applications required for winter grazing and farmers would be unable to erect the necessary fencing to comply with stock exclusion rules.
BLNZ chair Kate Acland welcomed the amendments but wants to see the details.
“Farmers need clarity and certainty to make on-farm investments and changes to their farming systems, safe in the knowledge that regulations will be science-based, practical and enduring,” she said.
The changes will enable farmers to adopt fit-for-purpose solutions, said David Burger, DairyNZ’s general manager farm solutions and policy.
“These positive changes will allow farmers to focus more on continuing to improve their wintering practices through appropriate farm and catchment level solutions, rather than being concerned about national regulations, and associated costs, that may not be effective for their particular situation,” he said.
If the legislation is passed, current rules and consent requirements will remain for the current 2024 winter season but be removed for the 2025 season.
He said 8000 dairy farmers have completed farm plans so far and a survey showed 74% of farmers last year implemented at least five new management practices to support their cows and to manage winter conditions.
In addition, 98% of farmers had excluded stock from waterways with around 25,000km of fencing erected while 94% had a buffer around their waterways to filter contaminants.
“These findings emphasise that farmers use a range of tactics to care for their cows and the environment,” he said.
