Major Overhaul in Farming and Environmental Rules Welcomed by Farmers

• Federated Farmers hail end to ‘war on farming’ with regulation overhaul
• New RMA Bill aims to simplify resource management, aiding farmers
• Government introduces more practical, locally-focused farm environmental plans

Farmers across New Zealand are welcoming a significant shift in agricultural and environmental regulations that promises to reduce the burdens of compliance and foster better land management. According to Federated Farmers freshwater spokesperson Colin Hurst, today’s regulatory changes signify the “end of the war on farming,” ending a period marked by “unworkable and expensive” rules that have plagued the sector.

“These impractical rules have been a complete nightmare since the day they were introduced and farmers will be pleased to see the back of them,” Hurst remarked, criticizing the rushed nature of the regulations ahead of the 2020 elections. He stressed the importance of practical, pragmatic, and affordable regulations, noting that the previous rules failed to meet these standards, adding undue costs and confusion for farmers.

Hurst also pointed out the negative impact of constant amendments to the rules, which were altered eight times in three years, undermining farmers’ confidence in investing in their businesses. He highlighted the issues with one-size-fits-all approaches, particularly in areas like winter grazing and stock exclusion, which posed significant financial and practical challenges for farmers.

Echoing Hurst’s sentiments, Bryce McKenzie, Groundswell NZ said “Today, after years of being victimised and blamed for not being responsible food producers, the Coalition Government has thrown us a lifeline. Let’s not waste this opportunity.

If you see a neighbour, friend, or fellow food producer struggling to keep to the standards we all expect for the environment, take the time to go talk to them and offer to help. If you aren’t already, join your local land care or water care group. It’s up to us to show that food producers care for the environment and can be trusted with workable regulations. Better for us. Better for the Environment”

Concurrently, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop announced the introduction of the first Resource Management Act (RMA) Amendment Bill, set to be introduced to Parliament next month. This bill focuses on making urgent, targeted changes to streamline processes and reduce the regulatory burden, particularly benefiting sectors like farming and mining.

The five changes highlighted include:

• Repeal intensive winter grazing regulations
• Remove low-slope map from stock exclusion regulations
• Suspend requirement for councils to identify new Significant Natural Areas for three years
• Resource consents will no longer need to demonstrate accordance with Te Mana o te Wai heirarchy of obligations, during the review of the National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management
• Coal mining consenting pathways to be re-aligned with other mining activities in the National Policy Statements for Indigenous Biodiversity and Freshwater Management, and the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater

Agriculture Minister Todd McClay noted that these reforms aim to enhance profitability in the primary sector by shifting to a risk-based, catchment-focused approach to stock exclusion and winter grazing. This approach eliminates the need for prescriptive consents, reducing costs and encouraging regionally tailored solutions.

Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard outlined plans for property and catchment-specific farm plans. These plans are designed to be practical and are informed by sector feedback calling for a simplification of the current system. The rollout of these freshwater farm plans began in regions like Southland and Waikato and has recently expanded.

These regulatory changes are part of a broader effort to replace the RMA with legislation that better suits New Zealand’s environmental and economic needs, with RM Bill 1 expected to pass into law later this year.