Hawke's Bay livestock grazers reminded to read up on winter grazing rules

Livestock grazers are being reminded to check up on winter grazing rules, to avoid accidentally turning into a feedlot. Photo / File

Hawke's Bay Regional Council is reminding livestock grazers to operate within the rules this winter.

Central Catchment manager Brendan Powell said they were putting out a friendly reminder to farmers to operate within the rules so as not to accidentally become a feedlot.

"Farmers are now much more aware of the impact that poor winter grazing practices have on water quality," Powell said.

"Grazing of winter crops is particularly important to plan in advance to get right.

"The result of good winter grazing is a lot less sediment and nutrients finding its way to waterways."

In recent years, primary industry groups and regional councils have had very consistent and combined messaging to landowners on good practice winter crop management.

Included in the messages are the top three tips for winter grazing: Graze paddocks strategically, exclude stock from waterways, and leave an ungrazed buffer zone around critical source areas – where any flows over land most readily find their way to waterways.

In Hawke's Bay, the regional council has 16 resource consents for feedlots, which are monitored over winter. Of these consents, 15 are active, the same as in 2018.

The rules around governing land use in the Tukituki Catchment and the Ruataniwha Plains can be found on the Hawke's Bay Regional Council website, along with further information regarding good farm practices.