4 February 2016

MEDIA RELEASE

Nutrient Management and Waitaki Plan Change to be notified

Environment Canterbury announced today that it would notify the Nutrient Management and Waitaki Plan Change, Plan Change 5 to the Land & Water Regional Plan, for public submissions on 13 February 2016. Submissions close on 11 March.

The proposed changes seek to deal with the effects of land uses, particularly farming activities, on water quality at a region-wide level, and to ensure the effective management of water quality in the Waitaki sub-region.

When operative, the nutrient management rules will apply in catchments not currently the subject of sub-regional plans.

Commissioner Peter Skelton said the Plan Change sets industry agreed “Good Management Practice” as the minimum standard for all farming activities.

“If the Plan becomes operative in its current form, resource consent, including audited Farm Environment Plans, will be required if properties irrigate more than 50 hectares or have more than 20 hectares for winter grazing of cattle,” Professor Skelton said.

“The nutrient management rules are intended to address the effects of changing land use and promote improved water quality outcomes throughout the region.

“With this in mind we need to be clear about what constitutes Good Management Practice on farm. Industry groups have now described what this means for their sector.

All farmers should have, as a starting point, a baseline nitrogen leaching rate that reflects Good Management Practice.

“Implementation of good management practices responds to community expectations, and will help achieve better water quality outcomes,” Professor Skelton said. “Every farmer is encouraged, and often required by the rules, to do an assessment of the environmental impacts of their farming activities.

“A farm environment plan is a valuable tool for doing this. Environment Canterbury has developed a new Farm Portal to provide easy access to nutrient management information. The Plan Change requires farmers to register their farming activities on this website.”

The specific rules relating to the Waitaki catchment help deliver the local community’s aspirations for water quality. These have been developed through the Upper and Lower Waitaki Zone Committees. They will meet the water-quality requirements in the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management in this area.

New water quality outcomes and a nutrient regime for managing to those outcomes is proposed. The Plan Change aims to manage the effects of land use and discharges from activities such as aquaculture on water quality in the Waitaki. Aquaculture and farming activities are both required to meet good practices, implement environment plans and avoid exceeding limits. Minimum flows for a small stream north of the Waitaki River, Whitneys Creek, are specified.

Once the Plan Change is notified, some of the rules for the Upper Waitaki area will have immediate legal effect while the remainder will come into effect when the Plan Change becomes operative after the hearing process.

Submissions on the Plan Change close on 11 March. For more information, go to www.ecan.govt.nz/lwrp-pc5

“Excellent progress has been made with our planning work in the last few years,” Peter Skelton concluded. “In partnership with the community, we are well on the way towards completing catchment-focused rules for the whole region.”

Background

The Land & Water Regional Plan became largely operative in September 2015. It sets the framework to implement community aspirations for water through the Canterbury Water Management Strategy, a community led, collaborative approach to improve water outcomes throughout the region.

The Land & Water Regional Plan operates at two levels – a region-wide section and 10 sub-regional sections. The policies and rules in the sub-regional sections can apply instead of, or in addition to, policies and rules in the region-wide section. The sub-regional sections implement the region-wide objectives in the plan in the most appropriate way for the catchment.

Sub-regional sections that are now legally effective cover the Hurunui-Waiau, Selwyn-Te Waihora, Wairewa/Lake Forsyth, Hinds Plains and Waitaki - South Coastal Canterbury catchments. The Selwyn-Waihora Plan Change, Plan Change 1, became operative on 1 February.

For more information on the Land & Water Regional Plan, go towww.ecan.govt.nz/lwrp

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