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 2008/2009 year, 1,686 riparian property plans for Fonterra supplier dairy farms have been prepared, representing 93% 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.

Taranaki's progress against the targets of the Regional Action Plan for Taranaki over the 2008/2009 period included:

• 93% 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].

• 66% (6909 km) of streambank is protected by fencing. Of the total streambank protection, 57% (5952 km) consists of fencing that was already in place (existing) at the time of preparing the property plans, 9% (957 km) consists of new work completed on dairy farms [Taranaki target: 50% of property plans are to be implemented by 2010, 90% by 2015].

• 56% (4298 km) of streambank is protected by planting and vegetation. Of the total streambank protection, 48% (3699 km) consists of vegetation that was already in place (existing) at the time of preparing the property plans, 8% (599 km) consists of new work completed on dairy farms [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].

• 82% of regionally significant wetlands are fenced [Taranaki target: 60% of regionally significant wetlands are to be fenced by 2005, 90% by 2010].

• 99.5% 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 progress made to date on most of the targets set out in the Regional Action Plan for Taranaki. 

However, the relatively slow pace of property plan implementation continues to be an issue.  Whilst the target for 2010 has been met, this is largely due to existing fencing and planting carried out pre-Accord.  If plan implementation continues at its current rate the implementation target for 2015 will not be met.

The Taranaki Regional Council has continued to make adjustments to its approach to promote wider and faster implementation.  However, if the 2015 implementation target is to be met, other Accord partners and ultimately dairy farmers will need to apply more effort to physical works. 

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

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