Federated Farmers' Hawke's Bay policy team has successfully appealed parts of the Hastings District Plan, which Hawke's Bay president Will Foley said will help farmers tackle the burden of increasing compliance obligations.
The policies now recognised that farming was positive for significant amenity landscapes, he said.
"It means essentially farmers can now carry out tree planting for soil conservation in Outstanding Natural Landscapes, when previously they needed resource consent because the council feared it would affect the landscape," Mr Foley said.
A call to increase earthworks limits for farms categorised with Outstanding Natural Landscapes was also achieved.
Farmers were now permitted an extra 500m3 to maintain tracks, and were granted 200m2 for new earthworks.
A ruling that has been in place for almost 50 years, classing deer as noxious animal and deer farms as a danger to the environment was also abolished, a move welcomed by Tikokino deer farmer Tim Aitken.
"It's fantastic news. I wasn't aware this was going to happen. The deer industry is a valuable part of Hawke's Bay primary sector and wider New Zealand agriculture," he said.