Environment Southland has hit the pause button and will be delaying its water plan until 2027.
In a statement yesterday, Environment Southland confirmed that in line with the government direction and the review of national freshwater legislation, plan change Tuatahi will not be be notified at the end of this year, but by the end of 2027 or earlier if possible.
The Otago Regional Council is pushing ahead with its water plan but Southland is not following the lead of its northern neighbour.
Environment Southland councillors shared their views in a robust conversation about the approach to the freshwater work programme at the strategy and policy committee meeting this week.
Committee chairman Lyndal Ludlow said the council had been working on meeting the national direction and improving freshwater to meet community expectations for many years, and agreed it needed to continue to do that.
"Our focus over the next two years will be on working with communities, industry and groups on the actions they wish to take to improve freshwater, both at a catchment and property scale,’’ he said.
"This reflects the Regional Forum’s advice for a community and catchment-centred approach and aligns with the government’s messaging in relation to its freshwater programme, which looks to enable more local catchment-level solutions."
Councillors agreed to a two-phase approach to the freshwater work programme, which includes a plan change in 2025 to set long-term goals and address any barriers that may be preventing people adopting improved practices in the current Southland water and land plan and regional policy statement.
The 2027 plan change will give effect to the expected revised national policy statement.
"We already have robust local rules here in Southland thanks to the Southland water and land plan, and this gives us a solid foundation on which we can work with our community."
Chairman Nicol Horrell said limits and targets would form part of the 2027 plan change, but it was yet to be determined what they would look like.
"Councillors are aware of the uncertainty our community feels at the moment with the changing legislation, but we are clear on what people should be doing and the direction we’re going."
This uncertainty has resulted in some operators being unwilling to start making environmental improvements now in case they are disadvantaged in the future by doing so.
Councillors confirmed grandparenting would not form part of the long-term solution to limit setting.
They also confirmed a reference period would be used as the starting point to measure any improvements identified in regulation. A reference period of July 2014 to June 2019 would recognise those who had already started making environmental improvements.
As part of the 2025 plan change, Environment Southland would be updating the farming rules in the Southland water and land plan to provide an option of using a farm plan as a potential alternative to some consenting requirements.
"Like the government, we want a farm plan system that is practical, cost-effective and based on specific farm conditions or circumstances that ultimately achieve the environmental improvements we all want," Mr Horrell said.
