New National Freshwater Regulations

The government has passed into law the new essential freshwater regulations which include the new rules for stock exclusion from waterbodies regulations, new NES standards and National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM).

At Te Tumu Paeroa we began working with trusts and lessees in 2019 to develop Farm Environmental Plans (FEP’s) to ensure known future regulatory requirements would be met and that measures were in place to protect waterways and whenua.

Regulatory rules and requirements will be phased in over the next 5 years. Each council will have four years to work with their communities on putting into place the new NPS-FM policy requirements and another two years to have these operative.

The Essential Freshwater rules and regulations introduced a new regulation for Freshwater farm plans. These regulations will be developed over the next 12 months and will cover the mandatory and enforceable freshwater farm plans. It is expected that these plans will be required on all farms with 20 hectares or more for arable or pastoral use or five hectares for horticultural use.

Last year Te Tumu Paeroa made a submission to outline the effects some of these regulations would have on our ability to protect, utilise and grow assets of our Māori landowners. Our vision requires a careful balance between protection of the whenua and the taiao (environment) while also trying to enhance and develop the land. We will continue on our owners behalf to engage where necessary with Government on these regulations.

We’ll continue with FEP’s ensuring the new requirements are incorporated. Along with the development of farm plans we are currently working on the new stock exclusion regulations and National Environmental Standards applying from 3rd September 2020 to ensure our responsibilities for both owners and lessees are known.

You can find more information about the new requirements at these links:

Government’s Policy announcements:

Ministry for the Environment - Freshwater National Policy Statement 

Ministry for the Environment webinars:

Webinars on implementing the Essential Freshwater programme 

Copies of regulations:

• National Policy Statement Freshwater Management (NPS-FM)
• National Environmental Standards (NES)
• Stock exclusion regulations
• Farm Plan regulations 
• Irrigation monitoring regulations