David Bennett | March 22, 2021 from GlobalHQ on Vimeo.
Environment Minister David Parker says the decision was made after the farming sector agreed to make immediate improvements to intensive winter grazing practices for the coming season and in return the Government has deferred regulations until May 2022.
Parker says the one-year deferment will allow an intensive winter grazing “module” to be rapidly developed, tested and deployed ready for formal incorporation into wider certified freshwater farm plans in 2022.
The region that was going to be affected the most from the Government’s initial plans was Southland, and Parker says the local regional council, Environment Southland, was concerned that the number of resource consent applications it was going to receive would swamp its system.
That would mean it would be unable to implement changes effectively in the first year. Instead, it thought a better outcome could be achieved by working through the farm plan route.
Parker says although farm plans themselves can be up and running this year, their certification and audit systems won’t be, so the council requested that the certification and audit requirement be waived for a year and instead rely on industry good and regional requirement pressure.
A draft IWG farm plan module has already been developed by the Southland Winter Grazing Advisory Group, which included Environment Southland, DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, Fish & Game and Federated Farmers, with input from iwi and Local Government NZ.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor says he expects the new module will be “along the same lines” as the draft one.
“There’s been some really good work,” O’Connor said.
“Ultimately though, there has to be regulation at some point to ensure that the people who don’t want to voluntarily improve have to move forward with their practice.
“We are measured by the lowest common denominator and we can’t afford to as a nation, or as a farming sector, to be measured against poor practice.”
DairyNZ is pleased the collaborative action and farming sector’s input has delivered practical winter grazing decisions, which sees farmers able to continue delivering on good practice changes.
“The Government’s decision to deliver change via an intensive winter grazing module as part of certified farm plans, rather than rules, is good news for farmers,” DairyNZ chair Jim van der Poel said.
“Farmers now have time to continue implementing good management practices that will drive positive progress. These will be supported by the winter grazing module and monitoring.”
He says the decision will give farmers reassurance that they can prepare for winter.
“It’s been highly collaborative and we will continue working together to deliver good practice winter grazing,” he said.
B+LNZ general manager for policy and advocacy Dave Harrison says it’s good to see a solution that is workable for industry groups, farmers and local government.
He says much of the Southland advisory group’s success was because it followed an open and transparent process and it will be important to follow that same process when working out the details of the new best practice module.
B+LNZ environment policy manager Corina Jordan, who was a member of the advisory group, is proud of the collaborative approach the group took and the report produced.
She’s pleased that some of the more stringent rules have been put on hold for a year to enable more farmers to implement best practice on the ground.
Federated Farmers water spokesperson Chris Allen says in announcing the temporary delay to the rules taking effect, Parker has listened to industry groups and recognised there are workability issues that need to be sorted, and that extra time is vital to ensure that is done properly.
“This is not kicking for touch. The minister has accepted a commitment from regional councils and the farming sector to use this time to develop, test and deploy an IWG module and practices that will ultimately be a part of a certified freshwater farm plan,” Allen said.
The extra year will provide time in which work can continue around the table to build on the considerable work happening on the ground.
“It’s all about ensuring the final rules and provisions are practical and workable for farmers, and achieve the environmental outcomes everybody wants to see.
National Party agriculture spokesperson David Bennett says Parker had no choice but to defer the regulations.
“This is the third time there’s been changes to this set of regulations. Minister Parker clearly rushed the process, he didn’t consult properly with the sector, and now he’s having to delay for a year,” Bennett said.
“While farmers will welcome the delay, there is still a lot of work to be done to make sure any new regulations can actually be achieved.
“But this playing for time gives no certainty or clarity around what farmers will be expected to have implemented by next year.”
