He went further when commenting on a report just published by the Land and Water Forum on the next steps needed to improve freshwater management.
The Resource Legislation Amendment Bill incorporated the forum’s “quite radical change to how plans are developed with the new collaborative planning process”, he said.
It included regulation-making powers to implement the forum’s latest ideas on how to fence rivers, lakes and wetlands from stock. It also provides for an integrated National Policy Statement and National Environmental Standard as recommended by the forum, which would enable these tools for freshwater management to be strengthened.
An information sheet accompanying Smith’s statement yesterday on the next legislative stage in the RMA reforms included a brief section on the bill’s impact on freshwater management.
The reforms will:
- Create new regulation making powers to exclude stock from water bodies (a commitment made in the Government’s 2014 election manifesto)
- Provide for equality of treatment for those who take water for stock drinking purposes
- Remove redundant provisions on water quality classes from the RMA, because this has been superseded by “national objectives framework” in the 2014 National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, and
- Facilitate community decision-making for freshwater management through collaborative planning processes.
Federated Farmers “cautiously” welcomed the bill but was concerned the proposed reforms do not go far enough.
Measures to make the RMA less costly and cumbersome were positive changes, Chris Allen, the Feds’ RMA spokesman, said.
But under the bill farmers would continue to face restrictions on what they can do on farmland that is classified as an “outstanding natural landscape”.
This unfairly limited farmers’ ability to plant trees, add new buildings and install new fences, “Which ironically is what the bill wants farmers to do to keep stock away from lakes and rivers,” Allen said.
The Feds further want greater consideration of economic benefits and property rights.
They have pressed for “parity” in the consultation required with landowners affected by local government plans and rules, such as rezoning or applying a package of rules that restrict farming activities.
The Land and Water Forum’s new report has given farmers more to think about.
Smith and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said the paper includes detailed proposals on excluding stock from waterways.
“The comprehensive recommendation to exclude pigs, deer, dairy and beef cattle from waterways in New Zealand relative to the type of farming terrain and the timetable for achieving it provides a sensible way forward,” they said.
Proposals to require more efficient use of water through farmers adopting good management practice and enabling water to be allocated to where it gets the most productive use was “constructive.”
The Government is drafting a discussion document on the next steps on freshwater management for public consultation early next year.
It will incorporate the forum’s report and proposals based on the Government’s discussions with iwi leaders on freshwater.
