More farmers seeking information on how to comply with water quality rules
More Otago farmers are looking for information and advice on how to minimise their operation’s impact on water quality
and comply with rules in the Otago Water Plan.
That’s one of the key findings of the Otago Regional Council’s annual survey to monitor the level of understanding and
uptake among farmers about meeting their responsibilities under the Water Plan.
In last year’s survey, only 7 percent of sheep, beef and dairy farmers said they needed more information on how to
comply with the rules. That figure has doubled to 14 percent, independent survey company Versus Research has found.
Just over half the farmers who took part in the survey said they had an excellent (13%) or good (39%) understanding of
what they needed to do to comply, which is unchanged from the 2015 and 2016 results.
ORC chief executive Peter Bodeker said the surge in respondents looking for more information suggested that farmers were
not being complacent about the impact their practices had on water quality. People who might previously have assumed
they knew what was required of them were now aware that they needed to be better informed.
Overall, 11 percent of the survey respondents said they had made all the changes they need to ensure their operation was
compliant, while 38% said they had made most of the required changes (up from 28% in 2015 and 35% last year).
Thirty-five percent said they had made some of the changes (up from 31% last year), while just 14 percent said they had
not yet made any changes to their farming practices (a decrease from last year).
Mr Bodeker said the figures relating to land management changes needed to be considered in context since farmers
reported they were mainly carrying out fencing and changing effluent systems – tasks which are both costly and
time-consuming.
The survey findings confirm that some farmers remain unclear about the rules in the Water Plan and the changes they need
to make in order to comply.
Mr Bodeker said the council acknowledged that many farmers were looking for more support and advice and had several
initiatives to address this.
These included:
• Developing a more comprehensive and user-friendly guidebook to replace the fact pack that has been distributed to
farmers in the past.
• ORC staff attending more farmer, industry, and catchment group meetings so farmers can ask questions relating
specifically to their property.
• ORC staff attending field days, and a roadshow visiting 15 locations around the region planned in the next financial
year.
• Building awareness of ORC’s On-Stream e-newsletter and dedicated Good Water in Otago Facebook page as sources of
information.
• Subject to confirmation of the council’s Annual Plan at the end of the month, the council is also proposing to offer
an Environmental Risk Assessment service to individual farmers, supported by the creation of three additional positions
to help deliver this service.
“We are aware that many farmers are responding positively to our unique, effects-based approach to water quality
compliance and we are committed to ensuring that those who are unclear or confused get the targeted information they
need to do the same,” Mr Bodeker said.
The results of the survey will be considered by the ORC’s Communications Committee tomorrow (Wednesday 14 June) – the
agenda is at http://www.orc.govt.nz/Meetings-Consultations-and-Events/Council-meetings-and-Agendas/