Tukituki, Hawke’s Bay

The first catchment in my home patch to be affected by these new rules is the Tukituki. It’s famous for great trout fishing and a bit of a problem with phosphorus enrichment. All properties 4ha (10 acres) or bigger are required to produce a farm environmental management plan by the end of May 2018. If your property is 4ha or more then you need to know the following:

IS YOUR land between Norsewood and Havelock North, from the ranges to the east coast hills? If so, you need to find out if your property is in the Tukituki catchment and affected by the new rules that came in with Plan Change 6, the Tukituki Plan Change.

Check www.hbrc.govt.nz/hawkes-bay/

projects/tukituki/ or call a Hawke’s Bay Regional Council-approved provider of farm environmental management plans (FEMP). These people are listed on the HBRC website and you can trust that their work has been checked and approved by the council.

IF YOUR property is under 10ha (24.7 acres), speak to a provider to check if you qualify as ‘low intensity’. You might not need a nutrient budget and FEMP, but you will still need to exclude stock (other than sheep) from flowing waterways, wetlands and lakes by June 2020. IF YOUR property is over 4ha (10 acres)

and doesn’t qualify as low intensity, enrol with a provider of farm environmental management plans. Do this sooner rather than later, as your plan needs to be completed by June 2018 and you’ll need to apply for a resource consent if it’s not.

PUT TOGETHER your last three year’s records for stock, fertiliser, supplementary feed, and crops – you’ll need this for your nutrient budget.