An estimated 10,000 farmers may require resource consent to intensively winter stock on crops next year.
A meeting this week between farming groups and the Ministry for the Environment (MFE) will confirm if a compromise can be found to the consenting requirement, which many fear will overwhelm regional council staff.
It has been estimated that 2000 farmers in Southland and 1000 in Waikato will require resource consent, and farming leaders calculate that nationally, potentially a further 7000 may also need consent.
The issue arose after government officials were unable to finalise criteria for freshwater farm plans, an alternative for farmers who feed winter-grazing crops in paddocks that are not compliant.
Freshwater farm plans set out how farmers will manage the environmental risk of intensively grazed crops over winter.
Beef + Lamb NZ chief executive Sam McIvor said farming groups have asked officials to delay by a year the introduction of these new rules due to the time constraints and lack of clarity.
McIvor said they are also seeking a rethink on rules that classify winter-cropping paddocks over 10 degrees as non-compliant. He described the criteria as unrealistic and not fit for purpose.
The definition is a 20m continuous slope of 10 degrees or more, but McIvor said that is too far-reaching and ignores the reality that some paddocks captured by those rules have topography that means they are completely safe to crop.
Farming groups want the 10 degree criteria increased to 15 degrees and exemptions applied if the paddock topography means cropping will not threaten a waterway.
McIvor said farmers have been praised by regional councils for improvements they have made reducing risks to the environment, and these should be acknowledged.
Government officials need to involve farming groups and farmers more in policy formation, he said, which will make it workable and ensure there is buy-in.
“They haven’t done enough of that, frankly.”
After questioning Environment Minister David Parker in Parliament about the issue this week, ACT primary sector spokesperson Mark Cameron said he was surprised Parker was not seeking more urgency from his staff given farmers will start soon cultivating paddocks.
Cameron is seeking information from regional councils on the extent of the potential problem of dealing with a deluge of resource consent applications
“We all want what is best but not at the expense of economic certainty, operational certainty, environmental certainty and animal welfare,” Cameron said.
MFE was approached but did not supply comment before deadline.
