Here's all the information about Freshwater Farm Plans (FWFPs).
The latest on Freshwater Farm Plans
The coalition Government will pause the roll-out of FWFPs and has signalled its intention to improve Freshwater Farm Plans to ensure they are cost effective and pragmatic for farmers.
Even though we don’t have all the answers yet, we expect a Freshwater Farm Plan system will continue in a form that aims to better meet the needs of farmers and growers.
We will continue to keep a close eye on any updates from central government, advocate for the needs of our region, work through what any changes mean for us locally, and keep you informed. Keep an eye on our Freshwater Farm Plan webpage on our website for updates.
The regulations
Freshwater farm plan regulations were introduced in the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater 2020 (NES-FW) as part of the Government’s Essential Freshwater reforms.
The actions outlined in the FWFP will be tailored to each farm and will complement the existing efforts of many farmers. These plans will work with other regulations, including nitrogen caps, stock exclusions, intensive winter grazing regulations, regional plans and consent requirements. Currently, farmers and growers are not required to take any immediate action. They should continue with their usual activities and follow their existing farm plans.
A FWFP must identify:
- The risks of adverse effects of farming activities on freshwater or freshwater ecosystems;
- Actions that avoid, remedy, or mitigate those risks;
- The plan must also set a timeframe within which each action must be implemented.
Over time, FWFPs are expected to become the central tool for farmers and growers to manage all their freshwater regulatory requirements.
The TRC will be reviewing and analysing the regulations to determine the best approach for implementation in our unique region, providing catchment information (context, challenges, and values) to FWFP producers for their farms and assisting affected farmers and growers by providing information and guidance to help them prepare and certify their first FWFP when they are introduced in the area.
For farmers who already have a hill country, riparian or other farm plan, the Ministry for the Environment expects existing farm plan providers will update programmes to include the minimum content requirements of FWFPs. The Ministry is working with sector farm environment plan providers to develop an effective approach. For a farm plan to be considered a FWFP, it must include the minimum content requirements as certified by a FWFP certifier.
It's also worth noting that FWFPs may become a section within the integrated farm plan framework. Integrated farm planning will provide a single framework for a farmer to bring together all their farm planning requirements into one place. But it is not a regulatory tool. The aim of the integrated approach to farm planning is to streamline compliance, reduce duplication and provide a structured approach for farmers and growers to lift performance.
Useful links
Ministry for the Environment (MfE) webpage(external link)
The Essential Freshwater reforms: a quick guide
The Government’s Essential Freshwater reform package aims to protect and improve our rivers, streams and wetlands to stop further degradation of freshwater, start making immediate improvements and reverse past damage to bring our waterways and ecosystems to a healthy state within a generation.
The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 (NPS-FM 2020) sets out the policies and the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater (NES-FW) establishes the regulations to achieve this.
What this means for people in Taranaki is requirements are being set for those carrying out certain activities that pose risks to freshwater and freshwater ecosystems. Anyone carrying out these activities will need to comply with the standards and, in many cases, people need to apply for a resource consent from the Council to continue carrying out regulated activities.
All of this is underpinned by Te Mana o te Wai(external link) (the mana of the water). Te Mana o te Wai means that when managing freshwater, the health and well-being of the water is protected and human health needs are provided for before enabling other uses of water.
Farm operator's guides to writing a Freshwater Farm Plan
Download the guide to writing your Freshwater Farm Plan
A Pastoral Farm Operators Guide to writing a Freshwater Farm Plan Te Uru Kahika (7.8 MB pdf) Further guidance for operators