Farmers are strongly encouraged to have their say during this once-in-a-generation opportunity to get the legislation governing the use of our productive resources right. Find out more about key issues for farming, where to find more info and how you can get involved.
The Government is consulting on new legislation to replace the Resource Management Act. The RMA and freshwater rules that sit under it are extremely important for the farming sector as this framework determines the use of our productive resources.
It’s widely acknowledged the RMA needs reform and B+LNZ strongly supports the Government’s intent behind the new legislation to create a more streamlined and practical framework, with less need for consents and more permitted activities.
With two weeks of consultation remaining (submissions close 4.30pm Friday 13 February) we wanted to provide an update on our thinking and remind you how you can get involved.
B+LNZ’s view of the legislation
While we support the intent of this work and the aim of helping the economy and enabling development, the way the new legislation has been written often cuts across that intent. There are more than 750 pages of legislation so it was inevitable there would be some issues in the detail.
The draft legislation contains many significant issues for our sector that need to be fixed.
We are working with other industry groups and meeting with Ministers to ensure they understand that changes will be needed.
The Government has told us they are open to panel-beating the legislation to ensure we get it right. It’s therefore critical they hear from farmers as well during this process.
The following sections set out three areas where changes are needed.
Permitted activities
The Government wants more farmers to be covered by permitted activities and need fewer consents.
However, the way the legislation has been drafted means farmers could be worse off than under the current RMA. More farmers will need consents or they will be subject to more onerous permitted activity criteria, especially in overallocated catchments.
Farmers will likely have to register permitted activities with the regional council and show how these will be met. This is a worse outcome for farmers and creates a pseudo-consenting regime for every activity.
Farm plans
The Government’s intent is that freshwater farm plans are intended to be risk-based, simple and able to be used as an alternative to a consent.
However, the draft bill would still require a farmer to get a consent, especially in overallocated catchments, even if you have a certified and audited plan.
We’re concerned that all adverse effects on freshwater and ecosystems will need to be identified and addressed in a farm plan – rather than following a risk-based approach.
There is little distinction in the legislation between high-risk and low-risk farming activities and all farmers would currently need either a certified and audited, or audited, plan.
B+LNZ’s position is that not all farmers should have to do a freshwater farm plan, for example if they are low risk. However, the legislation currently requires all farm plans to be at least audited.
It is not clear what value the farm plans are adding. As currently written, they will be complex and costly and will not lessen the current compliance burden on farmers.
We’re also concerned that the whole farm would need to be certified when certification is only triggered by high-risk activities on specific parts of farms (eg part of the farm is irrigated and triggers the need for this to be certified). That’s not necessary and would put a huge cost burden on extensive sheep and beef farming.
While freshwater farm plans have been embedded in the new draft legislation framework we need to see the separate regulations for their specific details. We need to ensure that all parts of this framework have been considered holistically and practically.
Freshwater farm plans must be risk-based, simple to implement and tailored to both a specific farm and the issues that need to be addressed.
B+LNZ will continue to advocate for a system that does not mean unnecessary cost burdens for farming businesses – farmers should be able to spend money on actions to achieve good environmental outcomes and sustainable farming, not on administration.
Stock drinking water
There are significant issues with how stock drinking water is currently being treated around NZ. Some regional council plans giving effect to national rules have included overly onerous requirements.
This is despite stock drinking water being a critical animal welfare issue and its effects often being minor (it only accounts for a few percent of a catchment take).
The new legislation has simply carried across the wording from the previous RMA. B+LNZ would like to see the legislation address this issue and make water takes for stock drinking water permitted.
The importance of the farmer voice
This is a once-in-a-generation piece of legislation and it’s critical we get it right.
We really encourage you to get involved and make a submission. It’s hugely important that farmers’ voices are heard in this process.
You can read our more detailed analysis and guidance on what you could include in a submission on this webpage.
We’ve also developed this general guidance on writing submissions.
We’ll be making a submission on behalf of farmers, and are meeting with Ministers and officials to make the case for sensible changes.
How to find out more
- Join a B+LNZ webinar on 4 February for more details on the key changes, their implications for farming and how to make your voice heard.
- Listen to a B+LNZ podcast for a fast breakdown on what the reform is, why it matters, and the big issues we’ll be pushing on.
- B+LNZ’s webpage on RMA Reform is here.
- You can access the Government’s consultation webpage here.