Farmers respond well to public pressure
Public pressure is working and Canterbury’s dairy farmers are knuckling down and making an effort to improve the state of the waterways, says a dairy leader.
There has been a ‘‘significant shift’’ in the attitude of dairy farmers towards water quality over the past couple of years, said Mid Canterbury farmer Tom Mason, a member of the DairyNZ Dairy Environment Leaders Network.
‘‘The lead up to the last election reminded anyone who was a bit reluctant in shifting their practices that they didn’t have much choice – that’s public pressure,’’ he said. ‘‘Public pressure flows through into regulations from the regional councils and government. Some farmers just want to do the right thing, but others need a bit of prodding.’’
Mason said dairy farmers were ‘‘putting money where their mouths were,’’ fencing off waterways to exclude dairy cattle and planting out riparian buffer zones to filter nutrients before they reached the water. ‘‘And it is working. We have hard proof from ECan [Environment Canterbury] that water quality in the region is already beginning to show signs of improvement,’’ Mason said.
Under the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan, many Canterbury farms required consent to farm which ensured they were meeting environmental responsibilities, including adhering to nitrogen losses. ECan chief operating officer Nadeine Dommisse said more than 90 per cent of Canterbury farmers had taken the action required. A farm environment plan (FEP) and a nutrient budget were needed for a consent.
‘‘Earlier this year we began a rigorous, targeted campaign to ensure that every farmer knew of their responsibilities and how to approach them,’’ she said.
More than 900 farmers had acted, and the remaining 80 had received formal warning letters.
DairyNZ catchment engagement leader Angela Harvey said the main purpose of farm environment plans farmers were required to complete as part of the consent process was to raise awareness of environmental risk areas before regulations were introduced.
She said many farmers were well on their way to completing the plans and were focusing their activity on areas where environmental gains could be made.
‘‘We helped the farmer pinpoint what was needed to be done and involved consultants to work closely with them to explain the reasons why certain options were better than others, and provide detailed plans and direction for the work to be carried out,’’ Harvey said.
She said farmers had found the FEP process more rewarding than just being told what to do by a regulator.
‘‘Along the way, farmers have also told us they have been gratified by the fact that farming to FEPs has also helped them to be sustainable across the board, not only achieving better outcomes for their environment but also for a business bottom line. Important though it is, the plans are not just about farmers meeting regulatory requirements. These plans are just as much about having truly sustainable dairy farm businesses that strike a balance in getting the best out of the farm, while also achieving the best for their people and the environment.’’