Land and farm hub brings together a variety of information from sources

The new digital hub gives farmers and rural operators an easy way to find the information they need.

A new digital hub will give farmers and rural operators an easy way to find information they need.

Farmers, foresters and other land-based operators in Taranaki have a new digital tool to help them meet environmental requirements and expectations while still maintaining production targets.

The hub is hosted on the Taranaki Regional Council website. The hub has links to websites containing information, as well as the Council's own information and guidance.

The new digital portal covers a range of topics including good farm practice, sector-based farm environmental plans and the region's own sustainability-focused farm and property plans. It also has regulatory requirements for farmers and farm contractors, forestry operators, site-works contractors and others involved in land-based activities in Taranaki and how rural landholders and others can do their bit to protect and improve native biodiversity.

"We've developed this hub drawing on material developed by key players in the rural sector regionally and nationally," says the Council's Director-Operations, Stephen Hall.

"The majority of farmers and others working on the land understand they need to do the right thing, particularly from an environmental perspective.

"A lot of work has been done on these aspects right across the sector, and a lot of information and guidance is available," he says. "So the idea is to provide an easy way to hone in on the specific information you need rather than being bewildered by the sheer volume of material available."

Stephen says the hub aims to give farmers and others easy access to tools that help them to identify the environmental risks of their activities, and to address those risks.

Users can offer feedback on the hub by using the feedback button at the bottom of key pages, or by emailing webmaster@trc.govt.nz

■ The hub is at www.trc.govt.nz/farmhub