Dairying & Clean Streams Accord

A Regional Action Plan for Taranaki has been drawn up under the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord.

The Accord focuses on reducing the impacts of dairying on the quality of New Zealand streams, rivers, lakes, ground water and wetlands to achieve clean and healthy water.

The Regional Action Plan adapts the actions outlined in the Accord to Taranaki conditions. The Regional Action Plan for Taranaki was prepared by local representatives of the Fonterra Co-operative Group, Federated Farmers, and the Taranaki Regional Council.

Progress report

By the end of the 2010-2011 year, 1682 property plans for Fonterra supplier dairy farms had been prepared, representing 96% of the total Fonterra supplier dairy farms in the region. 

Annual monitoring of works completed is conducted onsite by land management staff of the Taranaki Regional Council.  In addition, all properties were inspected to monitor dairy shed discharge permit compliance.  Set out below is a summary of Taranaki’s progress against the targets of the Regional Action Plan for Taranaki over the 2010/2011 period:

• 96% of Fonterra supplier dairy farms in Taranaki have a property plan [Taranaki target:  90% of dairy farms are to have a property plan by 2010].
• 345 km of fencing was completed in the 2010/11 year, constituting 11% of the recommended new fencing remaining to be completed. A total of 1631 km of new fencing has now been completed to date, noting that 5727 km of fencing was recorded as already in place (existing) at the time of plan preparation.  72% (7358 km) of streambank is protected by new and existing fencing.  [Taranaki target: 50% of property plans are to be implemented by 2010, 90% by 2015] 
• 159 km of new planting was completed in the 2010/11 year, constituting 5% of the recommended new planting remaining to be completed. A total of 790 km of new planting has now been completed to date noting that 3727 km of vegetation was recorded as already in place (existing) at the time of plan preparation. 58%* (4517 km) of streambank that requires vegetation is protected by new planting and existing vegetation.   [Taranaki target: 50% of property plans are to be implemented by 2010, 90% by 2015].  
• 98% of all regular stream crossings points at the regional level are adequately bridged or culverted [Taranaki target: 50% of regular crossing points are to have bridges or culverts by 2007, 90% by 2015].
• 100% of dairy farms in Taranaki have a farm dairy effluent discharge consent that complies with the Taranaki Regional Fresh Water Plan [Taranaki target: 100% of dairy farms to have a consent that complies with regional plan by 2004].
•  91% of regionally significant wetlands are fenced [Taranaki target:  60% of regionally significant wetlands are to be fenced by 2005, 90% by 2010].
•  99.4% of Fonterra supplier dairy farms in Taranaki have a nutrient budget in place [Taranaki target: Fonterra to have 100% of dairy farms with systems in place to manage nutrient inputs and outputs by 31 December 2007].

Overall, the Accord partners and the Taranaki dairy farming community should be satisfied with the excellent progress made to date on most of the targets set out in the Regional Action Plan for Taranaki. 

To make this massive environmental project even more successful, the challenge for the Accord partners will be to accelerate the rate of implementation of riparian management plans. 

While the target for 2010 has been met, this is largely due to existing fencing and planting carried out pre-Accord.  The Taranaki Regional Council will continue to promote plan implementation through one on one contact with landholders to ensure 2015 targets are met.  In addition, it is essential that the dairy farming community put increased emphasis on fencing and planting of waterways to assist the Council’s efforts.

Contact the Land Management Section for information or advice about the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord.

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