As spring progresses and Canterbury finally begins to dry out, the region’s farmers are under enormous pressure to begin drilling and planting crops for winter feed – but, they are struggling to get the consents now required by the Government’s new winter grazing regulations.
Under Environment Minister David Parker’s freshwater regulations, farmers must have a certified freshwater farm plan for winter grazing on sloping land. If they do not have a certified plan, they must obtain a resource consent.
But two years after the regulations were passed, the Ministry for the Environment has not completed the framework for farmers to certify freshwater farm plans.
Officials have indicated the framework will not be ready this year.
That’s a concern, given the requirements kick in on November 1.
Because the guidelines will not be ready, many thousands of farmers will have no alternative but to apply for resource consents for their winter grazing.
As a result, ECan – and other councils around the country – will be whacked with processing those consents, all while operating on staff shortages and massive workloads.
Officials say as many as 10,000 resource consents will be required, while industry estimates are higher.
Each application could cost up to $10,000. By my maths, that’s a $100 million problem.
Farmers across Southland and Otago were recently awarded something of a reprieve in the timeframe, and my expectation is that Canterbury farmers should be allowed a time extension too.
Farmers recognise that, in the past, there have been significant environmental risks caused by poor intensive winter grazing practices and I acknowledge the work they’ve done to solve this – and that includes complying with reporting standards.
I note too, that an 0800 complaints line set up this year did not receive one single call.
However, they’re up against the clock now and because of the Government’s inaction in delivering the necessary frameworks, if they just crack on and do this essential planting, they’re forced into breaching the law. This is not a place any farmer wants – or intends – to be.
The best way forward would be to either delay or amend the regulations to allow farmers that can’t comply with the new requirements an interim solution where they could use the intensive winter grazing module of a freshwater farm plan (FFP), until the Government has sorted out a process for certifying those plans.
Despite formal appeals from Federated Farmers, Dairy NZ and Beef and Lamb though, the Government’s most obstinate minister simply refuses to respond.
It is, plainly, not our farmers’ fault the Government hasn’t delivered regulations on time and, in my view, David Parker must delay winter grazing regulations until he can get this mess sorted.

• By Nicola Grigg

National’s Nicola Grigg grew up in Mt Somers and is currently the Selwyn MP