'Sigh of relief' for farmers as brakes put on new freshwater rules
"It never made any sense for the council to be trying to introduce new water quality rules when they knew the Government was changing the national direction."
Farmers will be breathing a sigh of relief, according to Federated Farmers Southland, following the Government is stepping in and stopping Environment Southland from introducing what it says are “unworkable and expensive new farming rules”.
On Tuesday the Government announced they will be amending the Resource Management Act (RMA) to give councils and communities more certainty when it comes to freshwater.
This change will restrict councils’ ability to notify new freshwater rules until the new NPS-FM is in place.
Environment Southland had agreed it would wait for the Government’s new National Policy Statement - Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) before notifying Plan Change Tuatahi, but would push on to introduce other changes next year.
Federated Farmers Southland president Jason Herrick described the Government’s call as a “pragmatic, commonsense decision that will be well received by local farmer”.
"We’ve been asking Environment Southland to put the brakes on new freshwater rules for some time."
"It never made any sense for the council to be trying to introduce new water quality rules when they knew the Government was changing the national direction," Herrick says.
"That’s a waste of council resources, and ratepayers’ money."
"These changes have made it very clear to regional councils that they need to down tools and wait for further clarification on the national direction," Herrick said.
"This clarity will prevent needless duplication of effort, the wasting of council staff time, and possible confusion for farmers with constantly changing rules."
With the RMA amendment, council won’t be able to bring in freshwater aspects of any plan change until December 31, 2025 - unless the Government settles its new freshwater policy earlier.
Herrick felt there had been already massive change to land use and management practices to better mitigate environmental effects in Southland.
"That won't stop because of this pause, and in fact it may give some breathing space to allow focus on practical, on-the-ground efforts that will make a difference for the environment, rather than getting bogged down in costly bureaucratic planning processes."
Herrick said farmers need rules that are fair and practical, but also an element of certainty so that they can make business decisions and get on with farming.
Naturally not everyone has been as welcomed the Government’s move.
Greenpeace says removing the local government power “to protect fresh water is an underhanded overreach that undermines democracy and puts vital fresh water at risk”.
Greenpeace spokesperson Sinead Deighton-O’Flynn said: “The anti-nature Luxon Government is stripping control from local and district councils who want to protect lakes, rivers, and drinking water for generations to come.
“Christopher Luxon’s government has declared war on nature, but that should not stop responsible local governments from putting in place their own protections to safeguard their constituents’ access to safe, healthy drinking water.
“Rural communities are suffering the consequences of nitrate-contaminated drinking water, lakes and rivers across Aotearoa are unswimmable, and the state of freshwater is getting worse. We need more protection of fresh water, not less,” Deighton-O’Flynn said.