Updated regulations for intensive winter grazing come into effect today, in advance of the 2023 winter grazing period.

The regulations are set out in the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater and seek to improve intensive winter grazing practices.

Environment Southland is encouraging farmers to undertake their winter grazing in a compliant way.

This will either be by meeting all permitted activity criteria outlined in the rules, or to obtain the necessary land use consent or deemed permitted activity authorisation (available for intensive winter grazing on land between 10 and 15 degrees where all other permitted activity criteria are met).

Environment Southland integrated catchment management general manager Paul Hulse said the Council’s consents team continued to process applications for winter grazing land use consents or deemed permitted activities.

“Our focus continues to be on working with the rural sector to encourage compliance with the existing rules for winter grazing by providing advice and education on the three pathways available,” he said.

Resource consent and deemed permitted activity application forms are available online, and will be issued for up to five years and up to 24 months respectively. The cost for a deemed permitted activity application is $500 (if all information is provided). An application deposit for a resource consent for winter grazing is $1725.

While the Freshwater Farm Plan system may not be fully in place for winter 2023, Environment Southland has established an additional pathway, the deemed permitted activity, for farmers to have certainty with winter grazing rules. The three pathways give farmers an opportunity to meet their regulatory obligations and achieve good environmental outcomes.

From early 2023, Freshwater Farm Plans will begin being introduced, with Southland as one of the first regions in the rollout.

Monitoring will continue to be undertaken as it has been over recent seasons, with a focus on high-risk activities and any investigations into non-compliance or enforcement will follow Environment Southland’s enforcement and monitoring policies available on the Environment Southland website.

“If non-compliance with the rules is identified it will go through our standard investigation process and any outcomes are not predetermined. The Resource Management Act provides for a range of regulatory responses, however, in the first instance our focus would be on encouraging compliance rather than fines.

“Until we have a better understanding of the number of farmers who may need a consent we haven’t finalised any monitoring plans for winter 2023 but planning is underway and being tailored as more information comes to hand,” Paul Hulse said.