There could be an alternative approach to consenting for intensive farms, Horizons Regional Council chairwoman Rachel Keedwell says. Photo / Bevan Conley
There could be an alternative approach to consenting for intensive farms, Horizons Regional Council chairwoman Rachel Keedwell says. Photo / Bevan Conley
The Government's conclusion that the Overseer software doesn't accurately measure nitrogen leaching means yet another delay for intensive farming consents in the Horizons region.
Horizons Regional Council is seeking to change the rules in its One Plan. A critical piece of that is Table 14.2, which uses the Overseer softwareto calculate nitrogen leaching.
Intensive farming comprises dairy, cropping, commercial vegetable growing and irrigated sheep and beef operations. There are 118 farms and 60 commercial vegetable growing operations in the Horizons region that are unconsented because they cannot meet the previous rule and there is not a new one to replace it.
Horizons strategy and regulation manager Dr Nic Peet is advising those operators not to apply for consent at the moment, because the council does not have a rule.
In 2018 the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment asked for a review of the Overseer software. It was used for consenting by Horizons and three other regional councils, Horizons chairwoman Rachel Keedwell said.
On August 11 a Government-appointed independent Scientific Advisory Council found the programme was not suitable for blanket use in measuring nitrogen leaching. Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor and Environment Minister David Parker said the Government would now help Overseer develop a next-generation tool.
Horizons strategy and regulation manager Dr Nic Peet. Photo / Supplied
It will be needed to measure leaching as the Government's freshwater standards are imposed from 2024.
Horizons had approved an interim change to its One Plan intensive farming rule in April this year. But that change has been appealed by four parties, including the Wellington Fish & Game Council, one of the parties that took the council to the Environment Court in 2017.
Those four have been joined by six others from the initial group of submitters, including Federated Farmers, a fertiliser company, Horticulture New Zealand and Forest & Bird.
The Environment Court process has been delayed while Horizons waits for a Government directive on use of Overseer.
The delay prolonged the time operators continued without consent, and also delayed environmental improvement, Keedwell has said previously.
A different approach could be taken, based around limits and best practice and not relying on actual numbers, she said.
However, an approach of "alternate personal pathways" would be equally or even more difficult, Horizons councillor Nicola Patrick said.
"If there's a way to fix [Overseer], that might be worth exploring, but we need agreement, not a new cycle of litigation."
She said the use of Overseer had made a difference, despite its limitations.
"There's a belief that while the tool couldn't do exactly what it was being twisted to do, it probably is part of a set of actions that have caused environmental improvement in lots of places."
