Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Protection for fertile soils

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New policies and standards could protect the most fertile and versatile land as soon as next year.
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Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor and Environment Minister David Parker have put out proposals to value high-quality soils as a resource of national significance.

“The threat to elite soils in this country has been very real,” O’Connor said. 

“We’ve been losing soils for the past 20 years at an alarming rate.

“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to visit Pukekohe and see what is happening.”

The Government has released a draft National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land that proposes a nationwide approach to protecting NZ’s most productive land for future generations.

The statement was mooted by Parker last year as a result of concern over the amount of quality soils lost to urban development in the past generation. 

It is intended to target the high-value classes 1 and 2 soils that account for 5% of NZ’s soil profile but almost 85% of high-value crop production.

“One of the greatest challenges facing the world right now is the need to feed a growing population. 

“We have a well-earned reputation for producing some of the best food in the world,” O’Connor said.

“Continuing to grow food in the volumes and quality we have come to expect depends on the availability of land and the quality of the soil. 

“Once productive land is built on we can’t use it for food production, which is why we need to act now.”

About 14% of NZ’s land is categorised as highly productive.

But between 2002 and 2016 New Zealand has been losing more than 100,000 hectares a year of growing land to urban development or lifestyle blocks, which have been growing at a rate of 5800 a year.

Auckland’s growth plays a significant part.

A report by Auckland City Council planner Ryan Bradley said about 66% of the city’s future urban zoned land is on elite or prime soils, covering 10,095ha. The main areas affected are at Whenuapai, Kumeu-Huapai, Drury-Opaheke, Takanini and Pukekohe/Paerata.

Ministry for the Environment and Statistics NZ research showed towns and cities increased in size 10% between 1996 and 2012 and while agricultural land decreased 7% between 2002 and 2016.

“We appreciate the balance for councils between the need to provide more houses and the need to protect their soils and economic activity,” O’Connor said.

Since April last year the Government has been looking at the best options for the protection of NZ’s high-value soils.

“This is not about spatial planning.

“It doesn’t dictate exactly what will happen.

“But it does place an obligation on councils to ensure there is enough highly productive land available for primary production now and in the future and to protect it from inappropriate subdivision, use and development.”

Councils will have to complete a cost-benefit analysis of using land for growing fruit and vegetables, assessing that against the short-term value of converting it to housing.

The criteria will be consistent nationwide but be flexible enough to allow councils to take into account their local situation and circumstances. 

“The NPS is not absolute protection for all soils. 

“It does consider local growth aspirations and the reality of where urban growth is now but it does force the councils to recognise the value of this soil for its productive capacity not just its subdivision capacity.”

Until now councils have not always had to consider the productive value – decisions have simply been based on market value and the potential for subdivision. 

“And that’s clearly a one-way approach,” O’Connor said.

“To counter that we need to look at what would the productive capacity for high-value fruit, vegetables and food production and how this weighs up against more houses.”

Horticulture NZ said it was reasonably optimistic about what the final version would look like and the level of protection it was likely to offer.

“The policy statement recognises NZ needs its best soils for domestic food production,” natural resources and environment manager Michelle Sands said.

“With good planning and buffer zones, houses and horticulture can co-exist.”

The new policy stands alongside another for urban development, to be released soon, Parker said.

They will ensure the economy has the balance right and the development it needs is in the right place.

A six-week consultation period started today. Public meetings will be held in most regions as well as targeted meetings with iwi, local authorities, primary sector groups and others.

Consultation closes on October 4.

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