Environment Southland chairman Nicol Horrell said the council supported changes made to the national environmental standards for freshwater, and acknowledged the Government had carefully considered the recommendations from groups like the Southland Advisory Group.
The Southland Advisory Group was established by Environment Southland following a meeting between farmers and ministers David Parker and Damien O’Connor in September 2020.
The group, which included several farmers and staff from Beef + Lamb NZ, DairyNZ, Federated Farmers, Fish & Game and Environment Southland, was asked to investigate the implementation of the intensive winter grazing rules within the national environmental standards for freshwater.
Their report was presented to the Government in 2020.
"The advisory group’s recommendations around pugging, mean slope, and resowing dates have clearly been taken on board. We are glad the Government has taken these steps as they will provide practical solutions, not only for farmers to implement on the ground, but also for councils which monitor and enforce these regulations," Mr Horrell said.
The updated regulations would come into effect from November 1 and would not impact the 2022 winter grazing season.
However, farmers planning intensive winter grazing operations for the 2023 season would need to familiarise themselves with the new regulations and requirements.
Existing use rights would not apply to the 2023 winter grazing season and practices would need to be adjusted to comply.
"While we welcome these amendments, we still need to assess the changes in more detail to understand the implications," Mr Horrell said.
-- Staff Reporter
