August 2021

Welcome to our bi-monthly e-newsletter on all things freshwater within the Horizons Region. This newsletter was created to provide you with updates on the new regulations and policies that form part of Central Government’s Essential Freshwater package. At times, it also includes information that we think is of use to our local communities, such as updates on One Plan Changes and our non-regulatory programmes.

In this edition, we have provided some information on Central Government’s response to a scientific advisory panel report on Overseer that was released on 11 August 2021. We have also included information on Intensive Winter Grazing, stockholding areas, and an annual summary of our Sustainable Land Use Initiative. You will also find information on the Ministry for the Environment’s (MfE) consultation for freshwater farm plan requirements and proposed changes to the stock exclusion Low Slope map regulations, which runs until 12 September 2021.

As part of MfE’s consultation process they are holding webinars which you can register for should you wish to learn more before making a submission. Registration is done through their website:
Wednesday 18 August 7pm-8.30pm (register here)
Wednesday 1 September 10.30am-12pm: (register here)

We acknowledge that there is a lot of change and uncertainty that this is likely having an impact on our people’s lives and farming practices. We appreciate that Government’s Overseer report will cause further concern for farmers with intensive land use consents. The type of practice improvements farmers have been using to reducing nitrogen loss are backed by strong science. It is vitally important that these practices continue. Thank you for continuing to implement on-farm practices that reduce N-loss in accordance with your consent and nutrient management plan.

We are committed to working with you, our regional council peers, and central government to support the improvement of our environment while ensuring social and economic values are considered.

Overseer

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Ministry for the Environment (MfE) appointed a scientific panel to review the Overseer model following recommendations from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. Government’s response to the report of the scientific panel was released 11 August 2021. Horizons Regional Council acknowledges this comprehensive evaluation of Overseer.

The scientific panel’s report raises significant questions about Overseer and concludes there is no confidence in its use to model the extent of nitrogen losses from farms. Overseer is a tool used by Horizons and other regional councils to model nutrient losses for the purposes of planning, consenting and auditing.

We appreciate that the report will cause further concern for farmers with intensive land use consents. A number of farmers have been waiting for dairy effluent discharge consents which are linked to intensive land use consents. Horizons will provide further advice to affected farmers as well to current consent holders on annual Overseer budgets required through intensive land use consents. We expect to provide this advice within the next 3 weeks i.e. by the end of August.

The type of practice improvements farmers have been using to reducing nitrogen loss are backed by strong science. It is vitally important that these practices continue. You should continue to implement on-farm practices that reduce N loss in accordance with your consent and nutrient management plan.

Overseer is currently a fundamental component of Plan Change 2 (PC2). PC2 also recognises practice change on farm and supports good and best practice, as well as the use of alternative modelling methods. PC2 is currently subject to appeals before the Environment Court. Council will need to advise the Court of the Government report on Overseer as part of the appeals process and work through the issues that it raises. As options become clearer, we will provide as much information as possible to affected parties.

Overseer has been the only available tool for councils to model nitrogen loss. Government has committed to improving Overseer and/or developing additional tools to be able to manage nitrogen loss. Horizons sees the urgent need for this to occur to support both water quality improvement and remove uncertainty for rural consent holders.

For more information about what this means for our region please see our website. Here you will also find a link to the report and supplementary information on the Ministry for the Environment’s website.

Freshwater and Farming Seminars

More than 200 people have attended a series of Horizons’ Freshwater and Farming seminars held in June and July across the Region. At the request of local farmers, additional seminars are being held in Ōhura and Waimihi on 23 August 2021.

We have also been regularly invited to speak to catchment and farmer discussion groups. We are happy to speak to any group interested in finding out more about the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater. If you are interested please email ruraladvice@horizons.govt.nz

Intensive Winter Grazing aerial survey

Horizons has completed its first aerial survey of intensive winter grazing (IWG) aligned to new requirements from central government under the National Environmental Standard – Freshwater (NES-F), some of which come into place May 2022.

The Minister for the Environment has asked councils to report back to him on intensive winter grazing. While there is not yet a need to have resource consent in place (unless you are establishing or expanding your IWG), Horizons has been working over a number of years with landowners, industry and catchment care groups around winter grazing and is conscious of the new rules that government has put in place.

From the air - a great example of good intensive winter grazing.

The aerial survey has aimed to understand the extent of intensive winter grazing that might be picked up by Government’s new rules particularly in parts of the Rangitīkei, the kind of practices being carried out and to identify any sites of significant concern. Over 100 sites were located. At least from the air, there were no areas or practices of major concern identified and some examples of good practice being employed.

Horizons’ staff will be following up on the ground with a number of landowners from a support and engagement perspective where intensive winter grazing is in the proximity of rivers. The focus is on preparing farms to be operating at good practice ahead of the need to meet permitted activity standards, get a consent, or implement freshwater farm plans. Horizons will continue to liaise with landowners, catchment care groups and industry groups such as Beef & Lamb.

Click here for Horizons’ IWG factsheet

Click here for Beef & Lamb’s good practice factsheet

Sustainable Land Use Initiative

The Horizons Region has around 260,000 hectares of highly erodible land in pasture and a further 200,000 hectares protected from erosion by vegetated cover. Horizons’ Sustainable Land Use Initiative (SLUI) continues to target hill country erosion, with more than 3,800 ha of work completed this year and Whole Farm Plans in place across 859 farms.

The second year of a funding contract with Ministry of Primary Industries Te Uru Rākau has just been completed, which has really allowed for acceleration of the programme. Over the first two years of the contract, the 6,505 ha target for erosion reduction works programmes has been exceeded by over 70%, with more than 11,180 ha of erosion reduction work completed.

Erosion reduction work consists of forestry, pole planting, stream fencing, sediment traps, reversion of land in pasture to native and cover, and fencing of existing bush remnants.

A key part of the SLUI programme is around the development of Whole Farm Plans (WFP) with individual farmers. To date, more than 619,000 ha of WFPs have been completed across 859 farms. In addition, Horizons operates a number of poplar and willow pole nurseries to produce planting material for erosion control programmes.

The aim is to produce and source a total of 30,000 poles per season. The 2020-2021 winter pole season saw 32,600 2.5-3.0 metre poles distributed to landowners, and we are on track to increase that figure to deliver over 36,000 poles this winter.

Since SLUI began, over 25 million trees have been planted and Horizons has established relationships with more than 850 landowners to develop Whole Farm Plans across 619,000 hectares, representing over half the highly erodible land in the region.Landowners have had a significant input into the completion of over 48,000 hectares of erosion control works to date.

Even if a landowner hasn’t had work done before, or doesn’t have a WFP, we encourage them to get in contact with Horizons land management team on 0508 800 800 to discuss what could be done on their farm. Find out more about the SLUI programme on the Horizons website

Stockholding areas - rules came into force on 1 July 2021

The NES-F rules for feedlots came into force on 3 September 2020. The rules for other stockholding areas came into force on 1 July 2021 and consent applications must be made no later than 31 December 2021. For more information see Feedlots and other stockholding areas

Freshwater Farm Plans (FW-FP)

The concept of FW-FPs was introduced in 2020 as part of central government’s Essential Freshwater package. They are new legal instruments established under the Resource Management Act (RMA) to manage the environmental impacts of farming activities through a risk-based approach specific to a farm’s circumstances. All farmers and growers above 20ha and 5ha respectively, will be required to have a certified freshwater farm plan. The Ministry for the Environment is currently consulting on the detail.

Ministry for the Environment infographic

The Ministry for the Environment’s (MfE) consultation document recommends how the FW-FP system will be run. Central government is interested in your views on the proposed content, outcomes, and how the transition to implementation takes place.

Much of what the government is proposing follows on from Farm Environmental Plans and Good Management Practice approaches being used for planning in other regions and supported by your farmer industry groups.

Many farmers in the Horizons Region will already have some form of Farm Plan (such as a Sustainable Land Use Initiative Whole Farm Plan, a nutrient management plan for consenting purposes, or industry based plan). These may be a building block to the proposed Freshwater Farm Plan.

Regional Councils are working through the information provided by the Government to understand the differences between our own Farm Plans and the proposed new Freshwater Farm Plans.

We encourage all of our contacts across the rural sector to be involved in this process and provide practical feedback to MfE during their 26 July to 12 September consultation window.

Click here to view the consultation document and find out how to give your feedback.

Stock exclusion – Low Slope Map

Central government is also currently consulting on stock exclusion regulations, in particular the low slope map. MfE’s consultation document seeks feedback on the proposed changes to the current map only. The changes include:

- Using a more advanced mapping methodology to identify land less than 5 degrees

- Managing stock exclusion by freshwater farm plans in:

areas between 5 and 10 degrees;
areas that are 500m above sea level; and
areas that are extensively grazed areas with depleted grasslands and tall tussocks.

Click here to download the discussion document and provide your feedback by 12 September 2021.

Further information

We hope you have found this newsletter useful. The QR code below is a quick way to access documents relating to the National Environmental Standards for Fresh Water and check which regulations affect you in your farming practice.

You may also find the Frequently Asked Questions on our website a useful resource.