Freshwater Farm Plan Rules Eased
Farmers will face a lighter regulatory burden after the Government confirmed changes to Freshwater Farm Plan (FW-FP) rules as part of the RMA reforms. These changes are in response to farmers and industry’s concerns that the previous rules were too onerous.
Key Changes
- Bigger thresholds before plans are required
- FW-FPs will now only be mandatory for:
- Farms with 50 ha or more of pastoral, arable, or mixed use (previously 20 ha)
- Farms with 50 ha or more of orchards or vineyards (previously 5 ha)
- Farms with 5 ha or more of other horticultural land
- All commercial dairy supply farms
- FW-FPs will now only be mandatory for:
- Certification required only in specific cases
- Farmers will only need to have their FW-FP certified if:
- They are carrying out activities specified in regulations
- Their plan is being used to meet another regulatory requirement
- Their farm is in a catchment designated in regulations as requiring certification
- Certification will still be voluntary for others
- Farmers will only need to have their FW-FP certified if:
- Industry bodies to play a bigger role
- The Minister for the Environment (not regional councils) will now approve or revoke industry organisations that deliver FW-FP certification and audit services
- Regional councils will continue to monitor performance and alert the Minister if concerns arise
What This Means on Farm
The changes are intended to make FW-FPs more practical and better aligned with industry assurance programmes, reducing duplication and compliance costs. Many smaller farms that previously would have needed a certified plan will no longer be captured.
Farmers who do require an FW-FP will still need to identify risks to waterways on their property and outline actions to manage them; however, the level of oversight will depend on the farm type, activity, and catchment.
For those that need a Freshwater Farm Plan, click here to learn more about the sector’s most popular freshwater farm planning tool.
