Federated Farmers pleased with Horizons Regional Council’s delay in implementing One Plan freshwater change

Federated Farmers has welcomed Horizons' decision to extend the timeframe for changes to freshwater rules.

Horizons Regional Council’s decision to push out the implementation of new requirements around freshwater is welcome news to Manawatū-Rangitīkei Federated Farmers.

Horizons has been working to implement the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM 2020) which requires all regional councils to revise regional freshwater management policies. In Horizons’ case, this will result in a revision to the One Plan.

The regional council has pushed out the plan change, extending it from December 2024 to late 2026/early 2027.

Manawatū-Rangitiīkei Federated Farmers president Ian Strahan said he was pleased with the extension.

“The reasons they’ve cited are pretty much the arguments Federated Farmers have been advancing for several years. We’ve repeatedly told Horizons they need to pause, slow down the process and gather robust information. We’ve also been saying they need to land on practical rules and targets that balance economic and environmental wins.”

He said pushing out the date was excellent news for the Manawatū, Rangitīkei, Whanganui, Tararua and Ruapehu communities.

“It also sets an example for other parts of New Zealand to make use of the plan change breathing space granted by the new Government while it reviews and replaces the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management. Federated Farmers said the large reduction targets for nutrients and contaminants in draft proposals were unrealistic and unworkable.”

Strahan said farming made up more than half the economic activity of the region.

“If we kneecap ourselves economically, the environment will also suffer. In my experience, the farmers who take the lead in the environment space are the ones doing well in food and fibre production. If you pull the rug on their revenue, you’re pulling the rug on their ability to invest in planting, waterway protection and the like. It’s taken them a long time to reach this valid conclusion, but we’re very glad they’ve got there in the end.”

Horizons chairwoman Rachel Keedwell said the new timeframe meant the council could incorporate any new national policy statement requirements into the notified revision to the One Plan.

“While staff have been working hard to do the work required under the NPS-FM 2020, including significant scientific analysis and direct engagement with communities, there remains a large amount of work to do to ensure we get this plan change right.”

Keedwell said moving the date also meant the council could align the freshwater plan change with a review of other parts of the One Plan.

“Moving the date will help us to have a fulsome, complete and robust plan change. We will, however, regularly review this work and bring forward the notification date if we can.

However, Horizons still needed to respond to freshwater challenges in the region, Keedwell said.

“Stopping the decline of freshwater health and getting improvements in freshwater quality will remain the focus regardless of any framework provided by any national policy statement for freshwater management.

“We will continue to do work to improve water quality, be it planting and fencing waterways, continuing to work with landowners to keep soils on hill country through the Sustainable Land Use Initiative, helping community groups do water quality improvement projects by providing grants, or other initiatives we have.”