Intensive winter grazing rules come into effect next week

New rules around intensive winter grazing come into effect on Monday and while farmers have made great strides in improving practice, they are required to comply with the new rules, too.

Amendments to the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater come into effect on 1 May, meaning farmers who are unable to undertake intensive winter grazing as a permitted activity are required to have either applied for a resource consent or deemed permitted activity.

Environment Southland staff began engagement with farmers early this year and supported a number with information and education relating to the rules and the process for applying for a deemed permitted activity or consent.

Throughout the winter grazing season, our compliance team will be monitoring practice to ensure farmers are compliant with the new rules.

Environment Southland integrated catchment management general manager Paul Hulse said if landowners had not applied for a consent or deemed permitted activity by 1 May they should be operating within the permitted activity system.

“You can expect to see our staff out and about assessing winter grazing. We will continue to support farmers to comply with the new rules and will monitor areas where we have identified risks.

“We know landowners have undertaken a lot of work and planning to improve intensive winter grazing practices in the region, and we expect to see that continue this season. It is really important to understand and comply with the rules.”

Staff will continue to follow up on reports through our pollution response.

“If we are alerted to properties operating, which require a consent for winter grazing and do not have one, staff will investigate. The outcome of these investigations will depend on the level of environmental impact of operating without a consent.”

If members of the public are concerned about something they see they can give the Environment Southland pollution response hotline a call on 0800 76 88 45, report it on Antenno or the Council website.

ENDS

For more information contact strategic communications advisor Brittany Pickett on 021 499 580

Editor’s note:

As at 28 April, 2023 there have been a total of 28 consent applications received, four deemed permitted activity applications and 30 permitted activity notifications.