Government set to announce new policy to protect prime horticultural land

Urban development near growing fields around Pukekohe in 2017. Photo / Jason Oxenham.

The Government is expected to announce this weekend new standards to help safeguard some of the country's most productive land from urban sprawl.

And market gardeners in Pukekohe say, while it's been a long time coming, it's an important step to help save the food bowl of the city.

Cabinet signed off the National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land (NPS-HPL) on Monday. But the details on exactly what it includes haven't yet been released.

When Environment Minister David Parker first announced the NPS-HPL in 2019 he said it would prevent the loss of prime horticultural land and protect it from inappropriate subdivision and development.

Pukekohe market gardener Colin Sue's company has been run as a family business since 1968 and produces a range of vegetables.

He said increased development in the area, in rural south Auckland, was making it harder for those in the horticulture industry in areas like Franklin.

"When you have houses right along your border line it makes it quite difficult to operate as a grower," he said.

He said some market gardeners in Pukekohe had been left with no other option than to sell their land to developers. But he hopes the new policy statement will help reduce that pressure on local growers.

South Auckland's horticulture industry is centred on the Pukekohe Hub, 4359 hectares of some of New Zealand's most fertile and productive land.

According to Auckland Council's Climate Action Framework, released in 2019, the area's volcanic soils generate $327 million a year in produce, which is the equivalent to 26 per cent of New Zealand's total vegetable production.

Pukekohe market gardener Bharat Jivan was cautiously optimistic about the upcoming Government announcement.

"In principle as growers we would support it," he said. "But the devil is always in the detail."

Jivan said protecting land for horticulture in areas like Pukekohe was important.

"Food security is important for the whole country and we need to ensure there is affordable food available for everyone."

Auckland Council planning committee chairman Chris Darby said in May he had grave concerns about the amount of highly productive, food-growing land that was being lost to housing and development.

He said the National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land (NPS-HPL) was needed now more than ever in areas like Pukekohe.

Darby said while he hadn't yet seen the final national policy statement, he was confident it would address many of the concerns of local growers and the council.

"The Government wouldn't be releasing an NPS like this unless it had some teeth and some clear direction on how we are going to protect this land that produces food, not just for Auckland, but the entire country."

Environment Minister David Parker was approached for comment and confirmed the Government had voted on the National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land.

Parker said an announcement was expected soon and more details will be released accordingly.