MEDIA RELEASE

Rules for vegetation clearance this season

Horizons Regional Council and Federated Farmers have reached an agreement on how vegetation should be cleared this season.

With the notification of the One Plan and the rules that govern vegetation clearance within it there has been some confusion among farmers as to which rules are to be applied for the coming season.

Following discussions, some very clear guidance as to how vegetation clearance will be managed over the next 6 – 8 months has been decided.

Garrick Murfitt, Chairman Horizons Regional Council, and Lyn Neeson, President Ruapehu Federated Farmers, are pleased that their recent round table with the key players has produced some clarity.  The key point for the community is that there is agreement that we can best avoid confusion by managing vegetation clearance for the coming summer via the existing Regional Plan which has been in place since 2003.  The leadership for the respective organisations is advising landowners to have the following things in the back of their minds when thinking vegetation clearance:

Clearance of scattered vegetation over pasture is permitted.
Vegetation clearance of 2 hectares per annum or more of contiguous (canopy is generally touching) vegetation requires a consent.  Vegetation clearance must not occur within 5 m of a permanent flowing river, a river with a bed width of 2m or more and any lake or wetland and within 20 m of some particular water bodies that have specific habitat value.
Vegetation clearance under the land and Water Regional Plan is not restricted by slope.

If there is doubt regarding the condition of 2 ha contiguous then the Regional Council may be contacted and a free assessment on site carried out.
If a consent is then required they will be issued free for this season.
Most importantly, the farming leadership in the Horizons Region and Horizons Regional Council recommend that in the event people have a query or are uncertain, that they make contact with their land management officer in order that everyone can be certain where they stand.

Federated Farmers and Horizons have made a commitment to meeting once again in April 2011 to review the decisions made with regard to consents issued and any compliance action taken during the season in order that they can continue to improve on the current position.  

There is no doubt that the clearance of scattered vegetation is a critical ongoing management requirement on many of New Zealand’s hill country farms.

ENDS

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