The Government must enable farmers to adopt a flexible commonsense approach to managing the exclusion of beef cattle and deer from waterways, says Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ), Federated Farmers, and Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ).
In a joint submission on the low-slope map consultation, the three organisations have called on the Government to work with the sector on a fair and workable solution to keep beef cattle and deer away from waterbodies.
B+LNZ, Federated Farmers and DINZ believe Freshwater Farm Plans (FWFPs), either as an exception or alternative, may be the best option to manage exclusion of beef cattle and deer from waterbodies.
They believe that stock exclusion requirements should be flexible enough for farmers to adapt and innovate to meet demands on their businesses, meet the needs of the environment, and allow regional councils to fulfil unique catchment values.
The joint submission, which was lodged on Monday, was informed by more than 340 responses from farmers to a joint B+LNZ, Federated Farmers and DINZ survey seeking feedback on the consultation.
B+LNZ CEO Sam McIvor says while farmers understand the rationale for keeping animals away from waterways, concerns remain around the complexity and practical implementation of the options.
“Our initial analysis of the options indicates that FWFPs, either as an exception or alternative, could be the best option,” he says.
“However, there are still significant details to work through to fully understand what the proposals would mean for farmers. These details must be worked through with the industry.
“B+LNZ, Federated Farmers and DINZ want to work with Government to help develop this detail to ensure that changes to the regulations are outcomes-driven, practical, fair, and workable for farmers.”
ENDS
Read the joint submission on the low-slope map consultation here (PDF, 511 KB)
Editor’s notes
The Government’s proposed alternative options include removing the low-slope map and replacing it with a FWFP, keeping the low-slope map but having a farming intensity exception; or keeping the low-slope map, but having a potential alternative pathway through a FWFP.
B+LNZ, Federated Farmers and DINZ consider FWFPs, either as an exception or alternative, to be the preferred option.
For more information, please contact James Ford on 027 235 9806 or media@beeflambnz.com