1. Welcome

2. Agenda Welcome Presentation Questions and Answers Meeting close
Proposed National Policy Statement - Highly Productive Land
Action for healthy waterways
Questions and Answers
Meeting close
This to be on the screen when people arrive.

3. Protecting our land and water for the future

4. Proposed National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land
Joint consultation with Ministry for Primary Industries

5. The issues Lack of clarity under the Resource Management Act (RMA)
: 29 percent of new urban areas on our most highly productive land
2011: 10 percent of our most highly productive land fragmented for rural- lifestyle development
Once gone, it is lost forever

6. The proposed solutions
Three proposed objectives to improve management, councils will:
Recognise the values and benefits of highly productive land
Maintain its availability for future generations
Protect it from inappropriate subdivision, use and development

7. Action for healthy waterways
Material improvement in five years
Healthier waterways in a generation

8. Te Mana o te Wai Guiding principle for water management
Put the water first – protect and sustainably manage the health of the water as the first priority
Holistic and integrated approach to water management – ki uta ki tai
Delivered through:
Water Services Act - arising from the Three Waters review
Updated Drinking Water NES*
Proposed new Wastewater NES*
New NPS Freshwater*
Proposed NES Freshwater*
Resource Management Amendment Bill (this year)
Broader resource management reform
Further work on institutional/oversight arrangements including regulator
Further work on allocating allowances to discharge nutrients.
*Part of water consultation

9. What does this mean for urban areas?
Safer drinking water
Proposed rules to put more protection around sources of drinking water
Better management of stormwater and wastewater
New standards for discharges from wastewater treatment plants in addition to having to meet requirements under NPS-FM
Stormwater and wastewater risk management plans to understand and manage environmental risks
Better monitoring and reporting
Protecting wetlands and streams from urban development
Protect indigenous species and improve fish passage in urban streams
Reducing sediment loss from earthworks

10. What does this mean for farmers/growers in the short term?
Proposals that apply to all farmers and growers
Farm plan to understand and manage environmental risks
Limits on intensification of land use (for example converting to dairy)
Exclude stock from waterways above a metre wide
Plan to exclude stock from smaller waterways
Proposals that apply to specific locations and activities
Restrictions on draining wetlands and infilling streams
Meet minimum standards for winter grazing
Get a resource consent for feedlots, stock holding areas
Report large water usage (eg irrigation) using telemetry
In high nitrate/nitrogen catchments, with no existing rules, reduce excessive nitrogen losses
Will work though one by one – see also fact sheets – to quote Minister O’Connor, mostly this is about making best practice, normal practice.
There are some catchments, especially in Canterbury and Southland, where over decades will have to go beyond best practice, to changing practice to reduce excessive nitrogen losses. Canterbury already has a plan for this (add)
One of the proposals that we are consulting on says that in about a dozen catchments, including a number in Southland, because the council doesn’t have a plan yet, there is a need to do something quickly to get nitrogen losses on to a downward path.

11. Intensification Consent will be required for:
increases in the area of land in irrigated pastoral, arable or horticultural production above 10 hectares
changes in land use above 10 hectares from:
arable, deer, sheep or beef to dairy-support
arable, deer, dairy-support, sheep, or beef to dairy
woody vegetation or forestry to any pastoral use
increases in forage cropping.
Must show there will be no increase in contamination
Interim measure until councils have plans in place
Intended to stop things getting worse
Feedback welcome

12. Winter grazing on forage crops
Options for new standards
National standard with options for range
Industry- set standards
Factor
Range from
Up to
Industry standard
Slope threshold (land with slope below …)
10 degrees
15 degrees
20 degrees
Pugging
10 cm
20 cm
fetlock
Setback from waterway
5 m
20 m
Feedback welcome

13. Stock exclusion – cattle, deer and pigs
Proposed standard for wetlands, lakes and rivers more than a metre wide
Proposed setback of 5 metres
Low-slope land (mapped online) rolled out over three years
Hill country (outside low slope) -requirements would apply to all areas capable of carrying stock numbers similar to low-slope land
Streams under a metre wide and drains
Plan for how you will exclude stock in your farm plan
Plan will be audited, and council can take enforcement action
Feedback welcome

14. Wetlands and streams No development of remaining wetlands
Does not include wet pasture or paddocks where water temporarily ponds after rain
Protection of streams
No piping or infilling
Mainly relates to urban development
Provision for stream crossings (eg stock crossing)
Feedback welcome

15. What does this mean over a generation?
Proposed new bottom lines
Regional councils will plan how to meet these and over what time period
Opportunity to be involved in plan development
Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus)
In many areas, nutrient reduction already needed over time to meet current NPS-FM attributes
New option would require significant reductions, especially in Canterbury and Southland
Feedback welcome

17. What does this mean - sediment
Will mean more planting on erosion prone land
Impact on urban development and infrastructure earthworks
Modelling indicates sediment bottom line can mostly be achieved through good practice
Feedback welcome

18. Support for change Practical advice, information, tools and support
Extension services
Targeted support for Maori landowners and agribusinesses
Investment in decision support tools
Overseer to be improved
Certification scheme for farm planners
To support farm planning process
Feedback welcome

19. Advisory groups Kāhui Wai Māori Freshwater leaders group
Maori leaders, farmers, scientists, resource management law experts
Freshwater leaders group
Farmers and growers, agribusiness leaders, scientists., resource management experts
Science and Technical Advisory Group
16 leading freshwater scientists
Regional Sector Water Subgroup
Council leaders and senior staff with relevant expertise

20. Questions

21. .