Central Government is currently reviewing the Freshwater Farm Plan (FWFP) regulations. These regulations do not yet apply in the Tasman District and the future timing of when they apply will be determined by the review process.
The announcement made by Central Government on 3 September, that the legislated rollout of FWFP will be paused, relates to the regions where the regulations already apply (Waikato, Southland, West Coast, Otago and Horizons).
This formal pause, for those currently subject to the regulations, provides some certainty around existing timeframes for farmers within those regions while the review is underway. Pausing the rollout before the end of this year allows everyone a chance to take stock and consider changes to make the system more workable and cost-effective.
We appreciate that this brings some uncertainty. What is evident is that the FWFP regulations themselves will remain, and we wait for further direction from Central Government on the final form they will take.
There is a lot of great work happening within catchments to manage the risks to freshwater. Farmers and catchment groups are being encouraged to keep up with their efforts in anticipation of the FWFP rollout following the review.
Our Soil and Land Use Team, through their Catchment Facilitators, will keep you up to date with news and events. They are presently working behind the scenes collating catchment information and ensuring everything is in place for the successful development of these plans.
Further information is available on the Tasman Rural Hub – tasman.govt.nz/rural-hub. If you have any questions, contact a facilitator at ruralinfo@tasman.govt.nz or phone 03 543 8400.
