Information for dairy farmers
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Information for dairy farmers
This information sheet is one of a series outlining requirements as part of a new approach to
managing the health of freshwater in New Zealand. These actions will see us start making immediate
improvements where needed and set us on a path to healthier freshwater within a generation.
These requirements have been developed following consultation with New Zealanders. In 2019, the
Government consulted on new regulations and a new risk-based approach for improving farm
environmental practices through mandatory farm plans in the document Action for healthy
waterways. The Government asked for feedback on proposed regulations – an updated National
Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, new National Environmental Standards for
Freshwater, and regulations under section 360 of the Resource Management Act 1991. As a result of
more than 17,500 submissions, and in the light of COVID-19, the Government has made several
changes to what was proposed.
This information sheet for dairy farmers provides a summary of what you need to do, more detail on
the requirements, information on support available to help you meet new requirements, and
background on how we got to this point. You can find more information sheets on the Ministry for
the Environment’s website at www.mfe.govt.nz/action-for-healthy-waterways.
What you need to do from now to 2025
Not all measures will apply to every farm. On this checklist, identify what’s relevant to your land
and farming practices and then find more detail on the following pages.
Make sure cattle, deer and pigs are kept out of waterways from July 2025 at the latest – if you
haven’t already, keep stock out of any streams more than a metre wide and keep stock at least
three metres back from the banks. Most dairy farmers have already done this, and existing
permanent fences closer than three metres to the stream won’t need to be moved under the
new regulations.
Keep your synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use below a cap of 190 kg of nitrogen per hectare
per year. An estimated 2000 dairy farmers may need to reduce fertiliser use over the next
12 months to stay under this cap, mostly in Canterbury and Southland. All dairy farmers will
need to report synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use to their regional council once a year, from
mid-2022.
Action for healthy waterways 2020 – Information for dairy farmers 1
Obtain a resource consent before intensifying land use, for example increasing irrigation by
more than 10 hectares on a dairy farm or converting land to dairy. This requirement applies
from mid-2020, when the regulations come into force, 1 until the end of 2024.
Protect wetlands and streams on your land. This means you cannot drain or develop them,
except in very limited circumstances, starting from mid-2020 when the regulations come into
force.
Apply best practice to winter grazing on forage crops. From 1 May 2021, you need to have
obtained resource consent if you want to graze forage crops on more than 50 ha or 10 per cent
of your farm (whichever is the greater), or on paddocks with more than a 10-degree slope.
Crops sown in spring 2020 should be planted with these requirements in mind to ensure
compliance when they are grazed from 1 May 2021. This practice is most common in the South
Island.
Meet minimum standards for stock-holding pads (this does not include wintering barns or
milking sheds) or have obtained a resource consent from 1 July 2021. There are about 3700
existing dairy stand-off pads and other feedpads on New Zealand farms.
If you operate a feedlot, you need to obtain resource consent from mid-2020 when the
regulations come into force. There are about 30 feedlots across the country.
If you have an existing resource consent to take a lot of water (more than five litres/second of
water), report on your water usage electronically (phased in over six years, depending how
much you take).
What you need to do medium term (this decade)
Have a freshwater module in a farm plan. This is not required immediately, but over the next 12+
months, the Government will work with primary sector representatives, iwi/Māori, regional councils,
and other interested groups to develop new regulations which will set out the exact requirements for
mandatory freshwater modules of farm plans. It is the intention to build on existing industry body or
agribusiness farm plans. We will prioritise this work in catchments most in need of improvement or
protection.
What you need to do long term
Over decades, continue to meet any existing and new requirements set by your regional council to
achieve community freshwater objectives and national bottom lines on nutrients and pollution in all
waterways. For example, some regional councils already require farmers to have a farm plan to meet
regional targets. These will continue and requirements may be strengthened.
What support is available to you
Through the Ministry for Primary Industries, the Government provides a number of programmes that
can fund projects to improve environmental outcomes on farm, and link farmers with practical
support. These programmes include:
• Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures (SFF Futures)
• Māori Agribusiness Extension (MABx) Programme
1
The exact start date will be publicly notified once it is confirmed.
2 Action for Healthy Waterways 2020 – Information for dairy farmers• The One Billion Trees (1BT) Fund
• 1BT Direct Grants
• The Hill Country Erosion (HCE) Programme.
Details are available at www.agriculture.govt.nz.
Links to further advice and support are at the end of this document.
Detailed requirements
This section sets out more detail on the requirements which will be formally set out in the new
National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM), National Environmental Standards
for Freshwater, or regulations under Section 360 of the Resource Management Act. These are
expected to be finalised, approved by ministers and made publicly available in mid-2020. Not all
measures will apply to every farm.
1. Exclude livestock from waterways and their margins
Keeping cattle, deer and pigs out of waterways is one of the simplest and most direct ways of
protecting water from pollution from animal faeces. It also protects the banks of waterways,
reducing sediment loss. In practice, stock exclusion will mean permanent or temporary fencing, but
there is room to use other technology such as ‘virtual’ fencing and ‘smart’ stock collars.
The regulations require cattle, deer and pigs to be kept out of waterways (lakes, rivers and streams
more than a metre wide, and identified wetlands) where intensive farming is occurring.
Most dairy farmers already have fences that will meet the regulations. An estimated 98 per cent of
streams more than a metre wide on dairy farms have already been fenced. If these existing
permanent fences effectively exclude stock, they will not have to be moved to comply with the
setback distance.
What’s different from the 2019 proposals
Changes have been made in response to submissions.
• The distance new fences have to be set back from streams will be a minimum of three metres
(not the average five metres proposed) and the deadlines have been pushed out by two years.
• Existing permanent fences that keep livestock out of waterways will not have to be moved under
the new regulations.
• In the hill country, the requirements are more limited than the 2019 proposals, applying to
wetlands identified by the council, dairy cattle and pigs, and areas where there is intensive
grazing of cattle and deer (rather than areas with a high carrying capacity).
What will I have to do?
The new regulations (under section 360 of the Resource Management Act) say that:
• All dairy cattle (except dairy support cattle) and pigs must be excluded from lakes and rivers
more than a metre wide (bank-to-bank) by 1 July 2023, regardless of land slope.
• All dairy support cattle must be excluded from lakes and rivers more than a metre wide (bank-
to-bank) by 1 July 2025, regardless of land slope.
Action for healthy waterways 2020 – Information for dairy farmers 3• All cattle and deer must be excluded from lakes and rivers more than a metre wide (bank-to-
bank) where land is used for fodder-cropping, break-feeding or grazing on irrigated pasture by
1 July 2023, regardless of land slope.
• On land less than 10-degrees slope, beef cattle and deer must be excluded from lakes and rivers
more than a metre wide (bank-to-bank) by 1 July 2025.
• Wetlands already identified in a regional or district plan must have cattle, deer, and pigs
excluded by 1 July 2023. By 2025, councils are expected to have identified more wetlands in line
with the new National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, and stock will also have to
be excluded from these. Generally, these wetlands will only be those that are 500m2 or larger,
but councils may also include smaller wetlands where they have particular value, for example a
habitat for an endangered species.
• For all stock exclusion, there must be a minimum setback of three metres from the edge of the
waterway, except where an existing permanent fence or existing riparian planting already
effectively excludes stock. This means existing permanent fences will not have to be moved
under the new regulations.
• Dairy and beef cattle and pigs will be prohibited from crossing waterbodies more than twice per
month unless they cross by way of a dedicated culvert or bridge.
The regulations will not apply to smaller streams (less than one metre wide), sheep, lower-intensity,
hill country farming, or where stock exclusion is impractical due to the physical characteristics of the
land or where there are natural barriers keeping stock out of waterways. However, mandatory
freshwater modules in farm plans are expected to require stock exclusion in some circumstances not
covered by the regulations described above. When and how this is required will depend on the
particular circumstances on each farm. The guidelines for how to make these decisions will be
developed over the next 12+ with input from sector groups (see farm planning below).
2. Keep synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use below a cap of 190 kg of nitrogen
per hectare per year
Nitrogen contamination is one of the most significant agricultural impacts on freshwater health. The
regulations set an upper limit, or cap, on how much synthetic nitrogen fertiliser can be used.
What’s different from the 2019 proposals
There will still be a focus on shifting farm management practices that lead to excessive nitrogen loss,
but:
• There will not be a new bottom line for Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN). Instead, the existing
bottom line for nitrogen toxicity will be strengthened, and nitrogen levels in rivers will need to
be suitable for healthy ecosystems. This means in some catchments, where nitrogen levels are
too high, farmers will have to continue to reduce nitrogen loss over coming decades to make
waterways less toxic to fish, insects, and other aquatic species, but the way councils manage this
will be more tailored to the circumstances in each catchment. The recent Our Freshwater 2020
report shows where nitrogen concentrations are highest, and where trends are worsening.
• There will not be local caps on nitrogen loss (or output) in highly nitrogen-impacted catchments
as proposed during consultation.
• There will be a national cap on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser input which will reduce both
freshwater pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
4 Action for Healthy Waterways 2020 – Information for dairy farmersAbout the cap
All pastoral farmers will have to keep synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use below 190 kg N/ha/year. Most
dairy farms are already under this cap so will not need to reduce fertiliser use.
This new cap will apply to all manufactured synthetic fertiliser you bring on to the farm (such as urea,
diammonium phosphate (DAP), ammonium sulphate and blends). It does NOT include nitrogen
sources derived directly from plant or animal sources such as legumes, compost, composted or raw
manures, farm-dairy effluent, or blood and bone.
Industry research shows low input (system 1) dairy farms averaged 45 kg N/ha/year in 2015/16, 2
while over 190 kg was used on some more intensive dairy farms. 3 These rates are not the fertiliser
tonnages but the amount of nitrogen in the fertiliser (which varies between, for example, urea at
46 per cent nitrogen, and diammonium phosphate at 17.6 per cent nitrogen).
Nitrogen fertiliser contributes to nitrogen losses to water through two routes:
• directly (when fertiliser is directly leached)
• indirectly, through increased pasture production and consequent higher stocking rates.
Higher stocking rates can increase leaching of nitrogen from urine patches.
Image credit: Waikato Regional Council
Reductions in nitrogen fertiliser use can significantly reduce nitrogen losses from a farm. For
example, on the Lincoln University Dairy Farm, cutting nitrogen fertiliser from 313 kg N/ha to 178 kg
N/ha (and reducing the stocking rate) reduced nitrogen leaching by over 30 per cent, as well as
greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent.
2 Pinxetrhuis I, 2019. Tactical use of nitrogen fertiliser. DairyNZ Technical series.
https://www.dairynz.co.nz/news/latest-news/tactical-use-of-nitrogen-fertiliser/
3 Journeaux P et al, 2019. The value of nitrogen fertiliser to the New Zealand economy. Report prepared for the
Fertiliser Association. http://www.fertiliser.org.nz/Site/research/projects/the-value-of-nitrogen-fertiliser-to-the-
new-zealand-economy.aspx
Action for healthy waterways 2020 – Information for dairy farmers 5For farms currently applying 300 kg N/ha, the estimated cost of getting under the cap of 190 kg N/ha
would be in the order of 4 per cent of operating profit. 4
What will I have to do?
If you are applying over 190 kg N/ha/year, you will need to reduce fertiliser rates to the cap or less by
the 2021–22 year or obtain a resource consent. This may mean you have to reduce stocking rates.
You have a year to adjust your farming system to meet the fertiliser cap by 1 July 2021. You may
want to talk to a farm advisor or industry representative about how to do this.
From 1 July 2021, all dairy farmers will need to record the tonnages of all synthetic nitrogen fertiliser
applied and the area it was applied to. You will then have to report to your regional council on the
amount you used in the year ending 30 June 2022.
The cap does not apply to arable or horticultural crops. This is because total land used for arable and
horticultural crops across New Zealand is comparatively small, there is significant variation regarding
what is grown and how much fertiliser is required amongst these land uses, and we want to maintain
national food security where possible.
The fertiliser cap will be reviewed by 2023 to consider whether the amount should be adjusted. In
the longer term, councils setting environmental limits on nitrogen loads to waterways combined with
freshwater modules of farm plans, will ensure fertiliser rates are appropriate to the land use, soil
type, and catchment on your farm.
3. Obtain a resource consent before intensifying land use, until 2024
Intensification occurs when inputs such as irrigation, fertiliser and stock increase per hectare of land,
or if a farm converts to a higher intensity land use (such as from sheep and beef farming to dairy
farming). Intensification can increase pollution (nutrients, pathogens and sediment) entering
waterways.
From mid-2020 until the end of 2024, you will need to have obtained a resource consent for specific
forms of intensification. From the end of 2024, it is expected that regional council plans will provide
the framework for decisions on intensification.
What’s different from the 2019 proposals?
Changes have been made in response to submissions. You will still have to obtain a resource consent
if you want to intensify but:
• There is now more flexibility for councils to look at the impact across a catchment when
considering individual consent applications.
• There will be no interim regulations limiting intensification of commercial vegetable growing and
no regulations for expanding irrigated horticulture crops.
• There is a ‘sunset’ clause – these restrictions will only apply for four years, until the end of 2024.
What will I have to do?
Between mid-2020 when the regulations come into force and the end of 2024, you will have to
obtain a resource consent from the regional council if you want to do any of the following:
• increase the area under irrigation on an existing dairy farm by more than 10 hectares
4
Clark D, 2019. The Opportunities and Challenges of De-intensifying your dairy system. Paper presented at the
Small Milk and Herd Supply Conference.
6 Action for Healthy Waterways 2020 – Information for dairy farmers• change land use (above 10 hectares) from any other use to dairy
• change land use (above 10 hectares) from forestry or woody vegetation to pastoral farming
• increase forage cropping above the highest annual amount in the previous farm years
2014/15–2018/19
• increase dairy support activities above the highest annual amount in the previous farm years
2014/15–2018/19.
Other land-use change activities not listed above will not require a resource consent under this
policy, such as from pastoral to arable or horticultural land use, but you should check your regional
rules before carrying out a land-use change.
Regional councils will only grant resource consent where there is evidence the change will not lead to
a deterioration in the health and wellbeing of the relevant waterbody or lead to over-allocation. In
practice, this means the council will need to be satisfied that increases in contaminant discharges
from intensification have been offset by de-intensification elsewhere in the catchment.
4. Protect wetlands and streams on your land
Wetlands are defined as permanently or intermittently wet areas, shallow water, and land water
margins which support a natural ecosystem of plants and animals that are adapted to wet conditions
(such as rushes or oioi). The regulations will not apply to wet pasture or paddocks (for example, areas
where water pools after rain that are dominated by introduced pasture species).
Wetlands are an essential habitat for threatened species. They also act as the kidneys of the land and
giant sponges by filtering contaminants, contribute to erosion control and carbon sequestration, and
are a buffer against floods and storm surges.
What will I have to do?
From mid-2020 when the regulations come into force, the following will apply:
• Keep livestock out of wetlands that are identified in council plans (and ideally out of all wetlands
if possible) and streams. Consider planting suitable native species in wetlands and alongside
streams.
• Avoid clearing indigenous vegetation, earthworks, drainage or taking, damming or diverting
water in and around a wetland. In limited circumstances, you may still be able to get a consent
to do these things, as long as it doesn’t result in further loss of wetland extent and you minimise
and offset any damage.
• You can still sustainably harvest sphagnum as long as the effects are no more than minor.
• You can also do some work in a wetland for restoration or cultural purposes (including scientific
and research) as long as the effects are no more than minor. But if you want to put in new
structures, or make changes that are more than minor, you will need to have obtained a
resource consent.
Streams (in urban and rural areas) must not be filled in unless there is no other option. Most
earthworks in streams and rivers, for example to shift the course of a stream, will require a resource
consent from the regional council. For works that need a consent, you will need to demonstrate that
your plans minimise the amount of damage.
Action for healthy waterways 2020 – Information for dairy farmers 75. Apply best practice to winter grazing on forage crops, and obtain
resource consent for larger and/or steeper areas
Intensive winter grazing is on-paddock grazing of annual forage crops. This practice is most common
in Southland, Otago and Canterbury.
Many farmers already follow good practice for winter grazing, and organisations such as Dairy New
Zealand and regional councils provide advice on good practice (see link in ‘Related links’ box below).
Poor management of winter grazing can result in a lot of effluent contaminating waterways. There is
also a risk the land will be trampled into deep mud (pugging), which causes water pollution and
creates animal welfare risks.
What will I have to do?
Under the new regulations, you will be able to graze stock on forage crops in winter without needing
a resource consent if:
• your paddock is less than 10-degrees slope, and
• the area being grazed is either less than 50 ha or 10 per cent of the property, whichever is the
larger (for example, on a property of 600 ha, the activity threshold is 60 ha, whereas on a
property of 300 ha, the threshold is 50 ha), and
• the crop is set back more than five metres from a waterway.
You will also need to meet the following practice standards:
• pugging is to be no deeper than 20 cm and cover less than 50 per cent of the paddock
• bare ground in paddocks subject to winter grazing is re-sown as soon as practicable, but in any
event no later than within one month after the end of grazing.
From winter 2021, if you want to graze forage crops above these thresholds or exceed the practice
standards, you will need to have obtained a resource consent. Crops sown in spring 2020 should
comply with these requirements in anticipation, or a resource consent obtained from 1 May 2021.
In 2018, about 850 properties in Southland, Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay had winter grazing on more
than 50 ha. This would require a consent under these new regulations.
Related links
• Dairy New Zealand guidelines on grazing the winter crop
• Environment Southland wintering advice
• Environment Canterbury winter grazing
6. Meet minimum standards for stock-holding pads, or obtain a resource
consent
Holding cattle in a concentrated area for an extended time creates a higher risk of pollution entering
waterways. New minimum standards are being set for stock-holding areas.
Stock-holding areas include feedpads, winter pads, standoff pads and loafing pads. There are about
3700 existing dairy stand-off pads and other feedpads in New Zealand.
The regulations apply to areas holding cattle but do not apply to:
• wintering barns
8 Action for Healthy Waterways 2020 – Information for dairy farmers• sacrifice paddocks
• areas used for animal husbandry purposes such as stockyards or milking sheds
• calf-raising – the regulations only apply to areas holding cattle older than four months and above
120 kilograms in weight.
What will I have to do?
You will have to meet the following minimum standards for stock-holding areas:
• manage the permeability of the base area so that it is sealed to a minimum permeability
standard of 10-9 metres per second
• collect, store and dispose of effluent in accordance with regional council regulations or a current
discharge permit
• situate the stock-holding area at least 50 m away from waterbodies, water abstraction bores,
drainage ditches and coastal marine areas.
If you have, or plan to create, a stock-holding area that does not meet these minimum standards,
then from 1 July 2021 you will need to apply to the regional council for a resource consent.
7. If you operate a feedlot, obtain a resource consent
All feedlots will need to have a resource consent from mid-2020 and meet the stock-holding standards
set out above. There are about 30 feedlots across New Zealand.
8. Report on water usage using electronic means
If you have an existing resource consent to take more than five litres/second of water (for example,
for irrigation) you will need to measure and report your use electronically, if you do not already.
You will need a system to measure water use every 15 minutes and provide electronic records to the
regional council daily. This would usually be achieved using a telemetry system.
The introduction of this requirement is being staggered. You must comply within:
• two years if your consent is to take more than 20 litres per second
• four years for consents to take between 10 and 20 litres per second
• six years for consents to take five litres/second or more, but less than 10 litres/second.
9. Medium-term, have a farm plan with a freshwater module
Have a freshwater module in a farm plan. This is not required immediately, but over the next 12+
months, the Government will work with primary sector representatives, iwi/Māori, regional councils,
and other interested groups to develop new regulations which will set out the exact requirements for
mandatory freshwater modules of farm plans. It is the intention to build on existing industry body or
agribusiness farm plans. We will prioritise this work in catchments most in need of improvement or
protection.
Many dairy farmers are already using farm plans, for example, those developed through Fonterra’s
Tiaki programme. It is the intention that the new farm plan freshwater module would build on
existing industry body or agribusiness farm plans.
The mandatory freshwater module is likely to be phased in, with roll-out prioritised in areas where
waterways are less healthy. It is likely the freshwater module will need to include a:
Action for healthy waterways 2020 – Information for dairy farmers 9• farm map identifying features such as waterways, critical source (discharge of contaminant)
areas, high erosion-prone areas, and other risks to the health of the freshwater ecosystem
• risk assessment across specific activities including irrigation, application of nutrients and
effluent, winter grazing, stock-holding areas, stock exclusion, offal pits, and farm rubbish pits
• schedule of actions to manage identified features and address identified risks.
Freshwater modules in farm plans would need to be:
• approved by a suitably qualified and experienced person
• audited by independent auditors
• enforced by regional councils.
This mandatory module is intended to be a more flexible way of ensuring farmers are following best
practice than using more prescriptive regulatory standards. It will take a few years to put in place so
regulations are required to drive immediate improvement in some farming practices.
10. Meet any specific regional requirements to achieve national bottom
lines and community freshwater objectives
As happens now, regional councils will develop plans and rules that farmers (and others in the
community) need to abide by. You will be able to be part of this process in your region.
Regional councils will have to notify new or updated regional plans by December 2024 that set out
how the region will implement the new NPS-FM over coming decades. Final decisions on plans are
due in 2026. Regional councils may choose to apply tougher requirements than those set out in the
national regulations.
Where councils (such as Canterbury, Waikato and Hawke’s Bay) have already developed plans and
are working with farmers towards agreed goals, this will continue. However, these plans will need to
be reviewed, and updated if necessary, to reflect the new NPS-FM. As this process happens, your
council will let you know what this will mean for you.
The new NPS-FM sets out 22 attributes, some new ones in addition to those in the existing NPS-FM.
These include:
• the amount of periphyton or slime (an indicator of excessive nutrients)
• nitrogen toxicity (indicating how many aquatic animals and bugs have their growth impacted)
• sediment
• fish and macroinvertebrate numbers
• plants and algae
• the presence of potentially toxic algae and faecal bacteria (E. coli, which is a proxy for risk of
infection).
Most of the attributes have minimum acceptable states, or bottom lines.
The Government decided not to introduce a new bottom line for Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN)
but has decided to strengthen the nitrogen toxicity bottom line so that nutrients must be at a level
that protects 95 per cent of species from toxic effects.
Regional councils are already planning to reduce nutrients to meet the limits for periphyton. To
achieve the new toxicity bottom line on top of this will require further improvements at about
5 per cent of monitored river sites. These sites are mostly in areas of intensive dairy farming in
Canterbury, with smaller areas requiring improvement in Waikato and Southland.
10 Action for Healthy Waterways 2020 – Information for dairy farmersRegional councils will also have to plan to reduce sediment runoff. Currently, about 31 per cent of
monitored sites do not meet the proposed sediment bottom lines and will need to improve.
What support and advice is available
Through the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), the Government provides the following
programmes that can contribute funding for projects to improve environmental outcomes on farm,
and link farmers with practical support. Details are available at www.agriculture.govt.nz.
Support for innovative projects
Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) is an MPI programme that co-invests in projects that
aim to make a difference to New Zealand’s agriculture, food and fibre sector. SFF Futures can co-
invest in a range of projects – from small, one-off initiatives needing a small grant to long-running,
multi-million-dollar partnerships. It may be a new product or service, or a better way of doing
something. You contribute co-investment (financial and/or in-kind) over the life of the project.
Projects can include developing new products or services, undertaking research, boosting
environmental outcomes, increasing skills and capability, and knowledge and information-sharing.
More information
Information about the types of projects we co-invest in, contact details, and guidelines for
applicants are available at www.sff-futures.mpi.govt.nz.
You can also email the team at sff.futures@mpi.govt.nz.
Māori Agribusiness Extension (MABx) Programme
MABx helps Māori land trustees or agribusinesses connect with others to confidently undertake
change. It focuses on providing shared, group-learning opportunities and exploring sustainable
system changes to deliver better environmental and economic outcomes.
More information
To find out how we can help, email the team at maoriagribusiness@mpi.govt.nz or visit our
website: www.mpi.govt.nz/maori-agribusiness.
Advice and funding for planting trees to improve or protect water quality
The One Billion Trees (1BT) Fund can help you plant the right tree, in the right place, for the right
purpose.
1BT Direct Grants are available to help landowners with the costs of planting trees or reverting land
back to native forest. Through 1BT Partnership Funding the Government supports projects such as
catchment restoration, workforce development, and scientific or technological innovations.
Action for healthy waterways 2020 – Information for dairy farmers 11Generally, we contribute a 50 per cent co-investment and you contribute either financially and/or
in-kind.
More information
Information about Direct Grants and Partnership Funding, including One Billion Trees
application criteria, is available at www.mpi.govt.nz/1BT. Or email the team at
1bt@mpi.govt.nz.
If you have areas of less productive or erosion-prone land on your farm, trees can help keep it stable,
and you could benefit from on-farm forest planting by earning carbon credits through the New
Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS).
MPI funds the Hill Country Erosion (HCE) Programme to plan for and treat erosion-prone land using
sustainable management practices. It is run through a number of regional councils and unitary
authorities. The HCE Fund complements the One Billion Trees Fund, and you can apply for grants
from both funds for different planting activities.
More information
Information about the HCE Programme is available at www.mpi.govt.nz/hce. Or email
forestgrants@mpi.govt.nz.
For information about planting trees to earn carbon credits in the NZ ETS, phone
0800 CLIMATE (0800 25 46 28) or email climatechange@mpi.govt.nz.
More industry, community and on-farm environmental projects
The following websites contain numerous case studies of farmers and communities who have been
taking care of their land for generations, and others who have started more recently to make
changes.
There are also links to sources of funding support to make improvements on your farm. Many
councils also offer direct support and/or advice.
• Dairy NZ – advice on caring for waterways
www.dairynz.co.nz/environment/waterways/
• Dairy NZ – advice on managing nitrogen fertiliser
https://www.dairynz.co.nz/media/5788746/tech_series_december_2017_web.pdf
• Ministry for the Environment – Good Farming Practice working group and guides
www.mfe.govt.nz/fresh-water/we-all-have-role-play/land
• Ministry for the Environment – Freshwater Improvement fund and projects
www.mfe.govt.nz/more/funding/freshwater-improvement-fund/freshwater-improvement-fund-
projects/table-of-projects
• Ministry for Primary Industries – guidance on healthy waterways and links to other information
www.mpi.govt.nz/growing-and-harvesting/land-care-and-farm-management/farm-
management-for-healthy-waterways/
12 Action for Healthy Waterways 2020 – Information for dairy farmers• Ministry for Primary Industries – hill country erosion programme
www.mpi.govt.nz/funding-and-programmes/environment-and-natural-resources/hill-country-
erosion-programme/funded-hill-country-erosion-programmes/
• NZ Landcare Trust – find out how to set up a catchment group
www.landcare.org.nz/resource-item/starting-a-catchment-group
• One Billion Trees – Matariki Tu Rākau community planting projects
www.teururakau.govt.nz/funding-and-programmes/forestry/planting-one-billion-trees/matariki-
tu-rakau/
• One Billion Trees – landowner planting grants
www.teururakau.govt.nz/funding-and-programmes/forestry/planting-one-billion-trees/one-
billion-tree-fund/#landowner
Action for healthy waterways 2020 – Information for dairy farmers 13Rural support trusts
Are you concerned about someone – a family member, partner, worker, yourself?
Your local rural support trust is a great place to start for a free and confidential chat. Rural support
trusts have people experienced in farming, getting through adverse events, and stress management and,
with your agreement, can put you in touch with other services that can help.
Call 0800 787 254 (0800 RURAL HELP) to arrange a free and confidential chat on the phone, at your
place or somewhere else that suits you.
www.rural-support.org.nz
How we got here
Many of New Zealand’s fresh waterways are in poor health, and some are under severe threat as a
result of generations of population growth and land-use intensification in both urban and rural
environments. Many leading farmers and growers, iwi, communities, industry, and regional councils
are taking significant steps to improve freshwater in their catchments and regions. But action has
been inconsistent and reports on freshwater health continue to show downward trends in many
areas.
In 2018, the Government set up four advisory groups, including leading voices from the primary
sector, to continue the work of the Land and Water Forum.
In 2019, the Government consulted on new regulations and a new risk-based approach for improving
farm environmental practices through mandatory farm plans in the document Action for healthy
waterways. Meetings were held across the country and over 17,500 submissions were received. In
response to those submissions, the Government made some changes to the proposals and also took
the impact of COVID-19 into account.
The changes made since consultation and, in light of COVID-19, have significantly reduced the costs
of the package, without compromising the major environmental benefits it aims to achieve. The
changes will give farmers and growers more time to prepare to meet the costs and allow councils
longer timeframes, recognising the impact of the COVID-19 response and recovery.
Disclaimer
The information in this publication is, according to the Ministry for the Environment’s best efforts, accurate at the time of
publication. The information provided does not alter the laws of New Zealand and other official guidelines or requirements.
Users should take specific advice from qualified professional people before undertaking any action as a result of
information obtained from this publication.
The Ministry for the Environment does not accept any responsibility or liability whether in contract, tort, equity or
otherwise for any action taken as a result of reading, or reliance placed on the Ministry for the Environment because of
having read any part, or all, of the information in this publication or for any error, or inadequacy, deficiency, flaw in or
omission from the information provided in this publication.
Published in July 2020 by the
Ministry for the Environment and Ministry for Primary Industries
Publication number: INFO 935
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