Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers president Michael Salvesen says while regulation will differ to reflect regional environments, the list of activities requiring consent will only grow.
“I think it’s pretty inevitable.”
The greater regulation is being driven by Government and community concerns over water quality.
In a statement last month Environment Minister David Parker promised new rules by 2020 to control the “excesses of some intensive land use practices. Our remaining wetlands and estuaries will be better protected.
“We will drive good management practices on farms and in urban areas.”
Environment Canterbury’s chief operating officer Nadiene Dommisse said central Government has adopted the good management practice guidelines her council compiled in conjunction with industry and to which all Canterbury farmers must adhere.
Her council response included requiring 3400 farmers who irrigate, farm in sensitive areas, intensively winter graze livestock above a certain area or have nitrogen losses over a threshold to have land use consent by 2025.
A further 425 might require consent while 5000 farms are deemed permitted activities.
Farmers who are part of an irrigation company are covered by the relevant consents held by the company.
Dommisse says consented farmers must file 10-year farm environment plans that include a calculation of their nitrogen losses using Overseer, which cannot exceed average emissions between 2009 and 2013.
Dairy farmers in the Selwyn-Lake Ellesmere area are required by 2022 to reduce nitrogen losses to 30% below their 2009-2013 average emissions.
Farm plans are independently audited within 12 month then every six months to four years depending on their audit grade.
Those receiving a C or D audit grade would not be compliant and liable to action from ECan.
A statement from ECan said of the 119-farm environment plans audited last year, 39% received an A grade and 55% a B to give a 94% pass rate.
This season it expects 500 plans to be audited.
The council has 22 different farm environment plan templates and Dommisse says plans required by processors or farm suppliers are credited to avoid excessive duplication.
“What has definitely occurred in the last five years is we are starting to be aware of the impact of farming on water quality, landscape and biodiversity and the things farmers and food producers have to manage is more than they have had to manage in the past.”
ECan says the quality of 22% of the region’s rivers is unacceptable, 36% are at risk and 23% acceptable.
Environment Southland’s Vin Smith said its Land and Water Plan addresses issues peculiar to Southland such as controlling soil runoff from cultivated land on slopes over 20 degrees and water run off from intensive winter grazing blocks.
“Fundamentally, we are all trying to achieve the same outcome and that is to maintain or improve water quality in our streams, rivers and aquifers.”
Regional councils are working through the implications of land use intensification and determining if the stock being farmed exceed the carrying capacity.
Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers president Michael Salvesen said farmers have adopted an it-is-what-it-is approach to Environment Canterbury requiring about half the region’s farmers get land use consent.
They realise farmers have to play their part.
The fact ECan has calculated over 90% of those farmers are engaged in the process os an indication farmers accept change is needed, he says.
