After nearly three years of negotiations and robust debate, the Hurunui District Landcare Group (HDLG) is pleased the Hurunui Waiau Zone Committee has voted to recommend Environment Canterbury allow dryland farming to be a permitted activity if less that 10% of the farm is in winter feed crops, with a cap of 100ha.
Cheviot sheep and beef farmer and HDLG member Mark Stevenson said the vote represents a significant victory for the group and the region.
“It is a workable solution to the flawed 10% rule, which penalises low-emitters by preventing farmers from increasing their nutrient losses by more than 10% without a consent – and these consents were unlikely to be granted.”
HDLG is in essence an advocacy group representing 150 predominately dryland farmers from the Hurunui area and includes a small group of irrigating farmers at Cheviot. The group is viewed by many in the sector as a template for other dryland farmers facing similar regulatory challenges in other regions.
The group, an incorporated society, formed after the now infamous meeting of over 300 dryland farmers at Waikari in 2014 where farmers responded angrily to ECan’s 10% rule.
While ECan has acknowledged the regulation is flawed, the group has worked hard to find a solution that protects their businesses and the environment while allowing ECan to meet their statutory obligations to the Government’s National Fresh Water Policy Statement.
Stevenson said ECan is required by law to account for the nutrients in Hurunui District and by collecting objective data from its members, HDLG is a medium to help ECan do that while ensuring members don’t have to deal with ECan directly.
HDLG is not an approved collective as defined by ECan and has no formal agreement with it but it has worked to build a relationship and, most importantly, educate the people who draft policy and plans about dryland farming in North Canterbury.
Stevenson said if the regional plan gets changed as proposed it is likely HDLG will opt to become an approved collective.
“This would be a painless transition for its members but significant in its recognition of a far more pragmatic plan.”
As an approved collective, HDLG would provide aggregated information to ECan but no individual data would be released from the collective.
Rather than complying with unworkable regulations, the group has designed a membership commitment it believes is manageable for farmers and reflective of dryland farming’s contribution to water quality.
“While dryland farming is a very small part of the problem it still contributes to water quality challenges.”
Stevenson said the group’s co-ordinator Josh Brown has been able to take ECan staff to farms and show them the environmental protection work farmers are doing as well as highlighting the climatic, topographical and economic challenges dryland farmers face.
This has been a mutually beneficial exercise and has seen a real willingness by ECan staff to understand farmers’ businesses.
HDLG members are required to have a Farm Environment Plan (FEP), which Stevenson said is not an onerous task time-wise and helps demonstrate they are responsible stewards of the land.
It also acknowledges that as dryland farmers they do affect the environment, albeit in a very small way, but by belonging to the group and abiding by its requirements shows farmers’ willingness to do their bit to protect and enhance their water quality and environment.
In return they hope to find a solution to the 10% rule that means they are no longer non-compliant, which is the case at the moment.
Stevenson said they want certainty their businesses are legal, which is important for their long-term security.
The group aims to reach agreement that works for all parties.
“An alternative that a planning process delivered without dryland input might be far more restrictive.”
Farmers have the chance to offer alternative solutions through the zone committee process.
“Last time we weren’t involved we ended up with the 10% rule. Getting involved has to be worth a try.”
