A high-profile collective including DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, regional councils, Horticulture NZ and Irrigation NZ and the Environment and Primary Industries Ministries this week oversaw the launch of the Good Farming Practice Action Plan.
While groups including DairyNZ and B+LNZ have developed their own paths to lifting water quality and nutrient management, the action plan marks a first for the entire sector, bringing all parties together under a joint agreement ensuring every farmer and grower has a farm environment plan (FEP).
Spokesman Sam McIvor, who is also B+LNZ chief executive, said the plan is built on the foundations laid down by the Land and Water Forum and includes 21 principals around nutrient management, irrigation, effluent and waterway practices.
“And the aim is for every farmer to have a FEP in place and a system to monitor and report on progress.
“We know many farmers and growers already have this sort of work in place.
“A third already have an FEP and others are taking actions such as excluding livestock form waterways and creating riparian strips and planting without a formal plan.
“Our goal is for the rest of them to adopt these principals of the action plan,” he said.
However, the plan remains an industry enforced, voluntary approach to unifying the sector.
McIvor doesn’t believe regulation is the way forward and more rapid progress will be achieved by laying out standards in the action plan.
But there appears some dissent on how effective a voluntary approach is likely to be.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council chairman Doug Leeder, the regional government representative in the group, said FEPs are a good starting point.
“But actual farm performance against the plan is what matters. It requires good monitoring and auditing to be done.”
Environment Minister David Parker said regulation is not the be all and end all, it is part of the answer.
“Regional councils have shown and experience has shown we need some level of regulation.”
Before the election Parker took a hard line against farmers on nutrient losses.
He continues to be frustrated at the rate regional plans to better manage nutrients are being brought into play.
The action plan’s template has come from Canterbury’s farm environment planning process.
However, Leeder said part of that success came only from quashing rights to appeal to the Environment Court, effectively speeding up the planning process there.
“And this is something that as regional councils we have asked the Government to think about.
“Our own plan change 10 is already 14 years in the making. The timeframe is too long on these changes.”
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor sees the action plan as part of a greater package to encompass farm sustainability, labour, animal welfare and greenhouse gas emissions.
“There is already work being done on whole farm accreditation by MPI and industry organisations.
“I think we need to align it so we do not bombard farmers with multiple obligations, rather have it as one entire farm plan.”
