Freshwater Farm Plan FAQ
When do I need to have my plan completed?
Each catchment has different dates for completion of Freshwater Farm Plans. The regulations will go live in the Aparima, Fiordland, and Islands freshwater catchments on 1 August 2023. However, farm operators will not be required to have their plan complete and submitted for certification until 18 months after this date which is the 1 February, 2025.
For those in Aparima, this encompasses the Pourakino, Aparima, Waimatuku, Taunamau and Orepuki areas.
Outside of these areas, the freshwater catchment rollout will be as follows:
- 1 February, 2024 - Oreti and Waiau (submitted by 1 August, 2025 for certification)
- 1 July, 2024 - Mataura and Waituna (submitted by 1 January, 2026 for certification)
Farm operators in these catchments will also have an 18-month period to develop and submit their plan for certification.
Your farm plan will not be complete until certified.
What if I already have a farm plan?
Your farm plan will likely need to be updated to fit the requirements of the Freshwater Farm Plan regulations. You will be able to get your catchment context, challenges and values information from the geospatial tool being developed by Environment Southland.
Can I complete a Freshwater Farm Plan on my own or do I have to pay a consultant?
Farm operators are welcome to produce their own Freshwater Farm Plan for certification. Guidance will be available to support farmers to do this. However, we expect that many farm operators will choose to engage a rural professional to create the bulk of their first plan to ensure it meets the minimum requirements. Your processor or industry group may have options to help you with farm plan development as well.
We are working with industry to provide guidance and support to the farming community.
How much will this all cost?
The cost of developing a plan will vary for each farming operation and will be dependent on whether the farm operator completes it themselves or works with a consultant. Certifiers and auditors will set their own costs for farmers to cover. We want the focus to remain on environmental outcomes and understand that there is potential for significant cost for developing and certifying a farm plan. We are committed to finding ways to find full participation from our farm operators and we are working to make this process as accessible as possible for you.
Where can I find help to develop my farm plan?
We are working with industry to ensure they have the tools and training to help develop Freshwater Farm Plans. We will be providing the catchment context, challenges and values information in an online tool on our website. This will be available for properties in the Aparima freshwater catchment in early August.
Why do I need to include Te Ao Māori perspectives into my farm plan?
Every farm is part of a wider catchment and linking on-farm actions to the catchment is critical to delivering improved environmental and cultural outcomes for freshwater and in putting water at the centre of the freshwater farm plan. Considering your catchment context will help you to create an action plan that protects your catchment’s unique cultural practices and recreational sites for future generations, as well as the environment. Farmers do not need to gather this information; it will be provided on the Catchment Context, Challenges and Values tool available on the Environment Southland website so farmers can consider and integrate as part of their risk assessment.
Do I need an intensive winter grazing consent once I have a Freshwater Farm Plan?
Once a Freshwater Farm Plan is certified on your property you may still need an intensive winter grazing resource consent depending on how and where you are planning to undertake your grazing. This is because of the requirements in the proposed Southland Water and Land Plan.
Will I need two plans – a Freshwater Farm Plan and a Farm Environmental Management Plan?
The proposed Southland Water and Land Plan also contains a farm plan requirement. As this is currently going through the appeals process in Environment Court we do not have the details on what will be required but expect there will be some differences. We will be working to make sure the proposed plan and the Freshwater Farm Plan regulations align.
How will the certifiers and auditors be chosen?
Certifiers and auditors will be appointed by Environment Southland. They will be required to meet a set of criteria and complete national and regional training. It is expected rural professionals will be appointed as certifiers. Farm operators are responsible for engaging the certifier and auditor. You will be able to find a list of appointed certifiers and auditors on Environment Southland’s website from November (at the latest).
What if I do not agree with the certifier?
If you disagree with any aspect of the certifier’s draft decision or assessment report you can provide comments to the certifier in writing within 10 days of receiving them. They must then consider these comments and provide a preliminary decision and assessment report. This will let you know whether the plan has been certified or needs to be amended to achieve certification. You must notify the certifier if you disagree with the preliminary results within 10 days of receiving them. You are then able to engage a second certifier who will need all the information you provided the first certifier as well as the preliminary decision and assessment report they provided. You must inform the first certifier (within 10 days) if you engage a second certifier.
When do I need to get my plan re-certified/audited?
You will need to get your plan re-certified every five years. However, it will need to be re-certified within 12 months if the farm has any new significant vulnerabilities, more land is added to the farm that requires different catchment information, the farm operator undertakes significant changes in farming activities or the farm operator changes and does not adopt the existing plan.
Can I have the person who developed my plan certify it?
Yes.
Can I have the person who developed or certified my plan audit it?
No, an auditor cannot audit a Freshwater Farm Plan if they have given advice in the preparation of the plan in the last two years or if they certified the plan.
Will Environment Southland employ certifiers and auditors?
Our focus is ensuring the system is fit for purpose. We will be exploring options that maximise efficiency for farmers and keep focus on environmental outcomes.
What happens to my Freshwater Farm Plan if I sell my farm?
You can pass this onto the new owner to adopt if they wish. If the new owner adopts the property’s existing plan they must arrange for an auditor to audit it within 12 months of taking over the farm. A new farm operator is not responsible for the failure of the previous farm operator to meet actions within the timeframes required in the action plan, meet timeframes for submitting the plan for recertification or any existing timeframes for auditing.
Will my Freshwater Farm Plan work for consent applications?
Yes, once certified your Freshwater Farm Plan will be able to take the place of a Farm Environmental Management Plan. As Appendix N of the Southland Water and Land Plan is going through Environment Court it is expected there will be further requirements necessary to be included in your plan.