While Northland Regional Council’s (NRC) proposed freshwater plan changes have been paused, work is ongoing to ensure the plan will be fit for purpose. B+LNZ has been involved in this process throughout.
The Government recently passed legislation to ensure regional councils’ work on freshwater plans is paused while new national policy frameworks are developed – something B+LNZ had advocated for. Councils still need to notify by the end of 2027 so work is continuing.
B+LNZ is advocating for councils to use the extra time wisely to adequately engage with the community including farmers and to undertake better monitoring.
Recent engagement in Northland was a good example of this.
B+LNZ Environment Policy Analyst Lucy Evans attended a full day workshop with Northland Regional Council (NRC) at the award-winning Oromahoe Environment Trust farm to discuss stock exclusion from waterways and the management of highly erodible land.
Background to the workshop
Between November 2023 and March 2024, NRC consulted on a draft Freshwater Plan Change. B+LNZ were concerned with the draft and provided feedback urging NRC to slow down and work to fully understand the consequences on the profitability and productivity of sheep and beef farms within the region.
Feedback from B+LNZ and others resulted in NRC agreeing to pause the plan change until the national legislation is amended, and to actively engage with stakeholders.
B+LNZ’s environment policy team has been engaging with NRC over the past few months on mapping and managing highly erodible land and managing livestock access to waterways.
What the workshop involved
The workshop, on 13 November, included a strong on-farm focus.
The morning was spent at Oromahoe Environment Trust Farm, a 1,000 hectare sheep and beef farm near Kerikeri managed by Dean Candy. The farm was the Ballance Farm Environment Awards 2024 Regional Supreme Winner for Northland.
The Trust has fenced more than 10 kilometres of waterways, including 33 wetlands. In 2022, 9.8 hectares of waterways and erosion-prone land was retired and planted with 28,077 manuka.
While the great work the Trust has done to date was acknowledged, the many challenges and high costs it had faced in doing so were also a focus, with good examples provided.
The farm noted it was particularly successful where it had been able to invest in this work at its own scale and pace where it makes sense within the practicalities of the farming business and landscapes, rather than being enforced and driven by regional rules.
The afternoon was spent inside evaluating various scenarios to exclude stock from waterways and highly erodible land. B+LNZ pushed for stock exclusion and the management of highly erodible land to be done through a tailored and pragmatic approach that works for the farm business and system. We also argued that policy needs to be evidence based and outcomes driven – we cannot accept scenarios that will impact a farmer’s profitability whilst also not resulting in environmental gains.
Some key themes that NRC have highlighted from the day include:
- Stock exclusion rules need to be pragmatic and understand the geography of the land, large costs, setback distances and the unintended consequences on a farm system.
- Understanding the why is essential and this needs to be evidence based through monitoring and data rather than modelling and assumptions.
- Catchment groups can provide a positive mechanism for collaboration for farmers, neighbouring properties, and communities.
- There needs to be an understanding of what public funding is required both in the short and long term. Ratepayer money needs to be well spent and not wasted.
- There is general support from Council on farm plans but still a need to understand how they will work in practice and what the national regulations will look like.
- Farmers need clarity and certainty in what they do rather than constantly changing rules.
Next steps
The Council and industry found the day useful in looking at policy through the practicalities on farm and are therefore planning future farm workshopping days. The next is planned for February. It would be great to have sheep and beef farmers present at the day so Council hear directly from farmers about the issues. If you would like to be involved or learn more contact Lucy Evans: lucy.evans@beeflambnz.com or your local NRC representative.
B+LNZ thanks NRC for hosting the workshop and engaging with industry on matters that impact farmers. We also thank Dean Candy and the Oromahoe Trust for hosting for the day.