The Waikato Regional Council’s upper Waiomou catchment habitat enhancement project has ended, having restored 48km of waterways along the Tukutāpere, Rapurapu and Waiomou streams.

The four-year project worked with landowners to retire and plant out riparian margins along those waterways by controlling overgrown willow and poplar trees and other pest plants, and by planting out a native corridor in their place.

The council’s Hauraki catchments unit lead, Mike Houghton, said all the landowners were really generous with their setbacks, retiring larger margins than they had been asked to.

“This uptake and dedication meant we exceeded all our project targets, but by going above and beyond, we’ve been able to increase the project’s benefits. 

“The wider margins can intercept more nutrients and run-off from reaching waterways. We’ve retired additional steep slopes, which helps to prevent soil erosion, and we’ve been able to create way more habitat and corridors for our native wildlife.”

The completion of the upper Waiomou habitat enhancement project was celebrated on September 13 with a group of landowners, stakeholders, contractors and staff visiting some of the restoration sites.

The project included partnership funding from the Ministry for the Environment, Fonterra and Ngā Whenua Rāhui, which was able to provide landowners with up to 80% of the costs of the restoration work completed.

The objectives of the project were:

• The removal and thinning of overgrown poplars and willows that were either choking streams or at risk of collapse.

• Stock exclusion by fencing to keep stock away from stream sides.

• Pest plant control, by combining mulching and herbicide treatment to control a range of pest plants.

• Re-vegetation of riparian margins with native plants to connect the Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park to the Waihou River.

In total, 36 environmental programme agreements with landowners enabled 49 hectares of land to be controlled for pest plants and retired, including 48km of fencing and revegetation with 225,344 native plants.

Te Hanga North Lands Trust trustee Les Kinred said that when Waikato Regional Council first asked about retiring riparian margins on Māori-owned land, “we were mighty suspicious”.

“But the information and advice they provide, and the mapping and the planning, it all proves to be very helpful,” Kinred said, with the trust retiring 3.5ha along 1.1km of stream length and putting nearly 15,000 plants into the ground. 

Landowner Peter Bellamy said the project has been really worthwhile.

He retired 1.4km along both sides of the Waiomou Stream with setbacks of up to 20m. The area had a lot of large privet trees on his land, along with bindweed and Japanese honey suckle.

“I realise the maintenance of the plants is coming back to me but that seems easy compared to the work that has been done.

“And finding out about the native bat population, from an ecological assessment, that was a real buzz moment.”

Hauraki Coromandel catchments manager Emily O’Donnell said the initial driver of the project was to deal with a legacy issue relating to the planting of poplar and willows along streams banks.

“Many had reached maturity, were oversized and tipping over, exposing riverbanks and exacerbating erosion.

“None of this work would have possible without the vision and generosity of the landowners, who opened their farm gates and welcomed our staff and contractors.”

The Environmental Protection Authority board has had a refresh with four new appointments announced by Environment Minister Penny Simmonds.

The new board members are Barry O’Neil, Jennifer Scoular, Alison Stewart and Nancy Tuaine, who have been appointed for a three-year term ending in August 2027.

“They bring a wealth of experience in the horticultural and agricultural science fields, as well as sound governance experience,” Simmonds said.

Paul Connell, who has served as a board member since August 2021, has been reappointed as both a board member and as acting interim chair, following chair Colin Dawson’s term ending.

Simmonds will make one further appointment later this month.

The EPA is New Zealand’s national environmental regulator, playing a vital role across the entire economy.

“It’s critical to have timely decision making for the agriculture and horticulture sector, alongside ensuring positive environmental outcomes. EPA decisions impact the daily lives of all New Zealanders,”  Simmonds said.

“I would like to thank the outgoing board members, including past chairman, Colin Dawson, and board members, Tīpene Wilson, Andrea Byrom and Heather Simpson. I would especially like to acknowledge the various contributions Tīpene Wilson has made over the past 20 years.”

The Southland farm community is facing uncertainty with unclear messaging from Environment Southland on nutrient limits, targets and timelines for freshwater rules, says farmer and council deputy chair Jeremy McPhail. 

At an Environment Southland public strategy and policy committee meeting held last week, the council confirmed nutrient limits will form part of the 2027 plan change but “what these will look like is yet to be determined”.  

McPhail voted no to a 2025 plan change, expressing frustration about the process and the lack of information the council is providing to the community in regards to setting nutrient limits and targets.

Councillors reached a number of resolutions at the meeting. 

Changes to the Southland Water and Land Plan and Regional Policy Statement, giving full effect to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, will be notified by the end of 2027, and earlier if practicable.

The council also confirmed messaging around freshwater reforms.

The council will be working with communities over the next two years to develop catchment plans that detail the actions the community wishes to take to improve freshwater.

“Those responsible for the greatest environmental impact will need to make a greater contribution,” an Environment Southland spokesperson said. 

“Limits will form part of the 2027 plan change but what these will look like is yet to be determined.  A reference period will be used in the future, and we encourage landowners to record information from the last 10 years (for example, a reference period of July 2014 to June 2019) on land use area and type, stock types and numbers, fertiliser use, and actions adopted on farm.”

The council directed staff to continue scoping a plan change to the proposed Southland Water and Land Plan and Regional Policy Statement to set long-term goals, address minor issues and enable improved environmental practice for notification in the first half of 2025.

Earlier this month the council said in a press release that, despite the government announcing a pause to the rollout of the national farm plan system, in Southland implementing farm plans is underway as they form a key part of the Southland Water and Land Plan.

Environment Southland chair Nicol Horrell said while there’s some detail still to be worked through around timing, farmers should start pulling together the information for farm plans.

As part of the 2025 plan change, Environment Southland will be updating the farming rules in the Southland Water and Land Plan to provide an option of using a farm plan as a potential alternative to some consenting requirements.

The Environmental Protection Authority has strengthened the rules governing the use of chlorthal-dimethyl, also known as DCPA, because of concerns about its effects on fetal development.

The new rules come after the EPA’s red alert on August 22 urging people to stop using weedkillers that contain this chemical.

This followed the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency banning the substance earlier in August.

US data found the substance can affect fetal development and cause low birth weight and irreversible, life-long impacts, such as impaired brain development and motor skills.

The EPA has introduced restrictions to New Zealand so the weedkiller can only be used on soil where specific crops are grown. Pregnant individuals or individuals who may be pregnant are prevented from using the substance or entering a site where it’s been used, and wide buffer zones further protect the public from spray.

All restrictions on the use of products containing chlorthal-dimethyl took effect from September 13.

“Putting these restrictions in place now is the quickest and most effective way for us to protect people’s health and safety,” Dr Shaun Presow, Hazardous Substances Reassessments Manager, said.

“We have consulted with organisations that use this herbicide, and we have found that it’s not widely used in New Zealand, especially compared with the United States.

In New Zealand, chlorthal-dimethyl is used mainly for controlling a specific weed in onion, garlic and shallot crops before the vegetables emerge from the soil.

“These crops aren’t sprayed directly, and the substance breaks down before harvest, so we can assure people there is no risk through exposure from vegetables,” Presow said.

The EPA’s next steps are to gather and analyse all information on how these weedkillers are used in New Zealand, before carrying out a full review that may lead to further restrictions or a ban.

The three products containing chlorthal-dimethyl that are registered for use in New Zealand are Dacthal, Deramot Xtra and Chlor-Back 75WG.

Read more about the new restrictions on chlorthal-dimethyl.

The Department of Conservation has netted more than 70 critically threatened endemic freshwater fish on a South Canterbury dairy farm.

Found only in Canterbury, the Kōwaro or Canterbury Mudfish was discovered at Craigmore Sustainables’ Somerset dairy farm south of Timaru.

The population of mudfish was found living in the farm’s irrigation spring, an ideal habitat, the DoC said, for mudfish because of the clean, clear water and the dense aquatic plant growth. 

Following visits by DoC staff in April and May, the team netted 72 mudfish ranging in length from 77mm to 149mm. 

Somerset business manager Alex Pattullo said the discovery follows the completion of a comprehensive waterway restoration project over the past two years. 

“We have replaced the old diesel irrigation pump with a new electric pump to reduce risk of any chemical leaching or contamination and fenced the site to stock-proof it.

“In addition, more than 2760 native plants consisting of dry woodland shrubs and trees, as well as flax and reed plants have been planted at the water edge. 

“This will ensure a regenerating native bush block around the site, providing shade, shelter and food for many native and endangered species,” Pattullo said.

A report by the DoC says the riparian planting is “extensive and has a variety of species”.

The report concludes that the composition of macrophytes (acquatic plants) in the water is diverse and representative of good water quality and stable hydrology, both good indications of habitat quality. 

The water itself has excellent clarity, probably because it is spring-fed and largely free of stock, the report says,

Craigmore’s general manager of farming, Stuart Taylor, said the company regards it as a privilege and a serious responsibility to be entrusted to manage land, soils, water and other natural resources in New Zealand.

“Craigmore has a number of sustainability programmes in place to ensure we strike a balance between respecting the environment and running a sustainable and profitable rural operation.

“We strive to grow healthy and safe products while at the same time protect and enhance soil and water quality,” Taylor said.

“We’re committed to leaving the world in a better place and allow the generations that follow to continue to earn a living from the land.”

By David Norton, an emeritus professor at the University of Canterbury and strategic science adviser to Pure Advantage.

Catchment groups have been incredibly successful in Aotearoa at implementing landscape-scale environmental management on private land by coordinating integrated action across multiple landowners. 

Projects undertaken have been diverse and include enhancing freshwater systems, introducing new farm production systems, native biodiversity conservation, plant and animal pest management, and exploring new income opportunities. Catchment groups also play a key role in rural extension by bringing experts in to talk to farmers and others in the area.

Recloaking Papatūānuku is an ambitious national-scale initiative to restore 2 million hectares of native forest and wetlands within the next 15-30 years, and will require collaboration with and leadership of catchment groups.

The aim of Recloaking Papatūānuku is to increase landscape resilience against increasingly severe storm events, help conserve our unique native biodiversity and permanently sequester atmospheric CO2. The initiative will directly tackle the effects of climate change and address the biodiversity crisis here in Aotearoa. 

Recloaking Papatūānuku will primarily take place across private land that is used for farming, horticulture, plantation forests and as lifestyle blocks. This land has a range of ownerships including individual Māori and pākeha, Māori land trusts and other entities, and companies, but is usually not owned by the government. While public land will be involved, Recloaking Papatūānuku will by necessity be implemented largely on private land.

For Recloaking Papatūānuku to be successful, it needs to be driven from the bottom up, a “forest-roots” initiative, led by the people on the ground, with support from local, regional and central government. 

Catchment groups will play an essential role, because these groups know the current land uses and are aware of which  parts of catchments critically require restoration to reduce flood water flows and sediment loss. 

Catchment groups are also best placed to undertake and coordinate the mahi that is required to implement restoration such as facilitating the ongoing management of restoration sites and the threats these sites face, from, for example, feral animals, weeds and fire. 

Recloaking Papatūānuku is not a “one-size-fits-all approach” – rather the initiative as a programme would always be adapted to the local context, which again catchment groups are best placed to do. 

Also, local people are the ones most directly impacted by extreme weather events such as Cyclone Gabrielle, so they have a direct incentive to do this work. The improved landscape resilience and biodiversity that will result from implementing Recloaking Papatūānuku will directly benefit local farmers, iwi, and communities – and catchment groups are fundamental for making sure that these outcomes are achieved. 

 There is a need for higher-level support of implementation from government agencies, tertiary institutions,Crown Research Institutes, and others. Support will be required for catchment mapping and prioritisation of sites for management, work programme development, ecological advice on planting sites and species choice, threat management, auditing of management inputs and biodiversity outcomes, and so on. Help will come from multiple sources and will need to be coordinated. 

Provision of full-time coordinators for catchment groups will  be essential both to ensure that appropriate support is fed through to catchment  groups and to ensure that work programmes are efficiently managed. 

Relying on voluntary catchment coordinators, who are often farmers, is unrealistic for a programme of this scale. The recently formed Aotearoa New Zealand Catchment Community presents a real opportunity to coordinate the high-level support required for catchment groups across the motu.

Recloaking Paptūanuku is “he kakano e kore e tatari kia ruia – a seed that can’t wait to be sown”, an apt phrase that came to us in a hui with Waihoroi Shortland, Te Tai Tokerau, Ngāti Hine. 

But those seeds need to be planted by the local people, not by the government, and catchment groups are in a unique position to do this. Recloaking Papatūānuku represents a key opportunity to both secure the long-term viability of catchment groups, while at the same time allowing them to make a massive contribution through weaving ecological resilience back into our landscapes that benefits all of us here in Aotearoa.

I’m certainly over all the experts and politicians telling me what a great product wool is. I’m also over reading about our representatives going to international trade shows and conferences, rapturously selling the advantages of using New Zealand wool. 

Wool is a magnificent product, we all know that, but my approach would be to develop a strategy to promote wool that goes back to basics.

We should be thinking outside the square and not continuing with the failed policies of the past.

We all know that wool ticks all the boxes regarding the environment and sustainability but that hasn’t been enough to encourage the purchasing of wool products and that needs to change.

For example, while researching this article I came upon a report from 2022 telling me that the United Nations Environmental Agency had agreed to develop a plan aimed at ending plastic pollution. The competition for wool is plastic in its many forms. 

I read that “Heads of state, ministers for the environment and other representatives from UN member states endorsed the resolution to proceed with the plan.”

Our Ministry for the Environment (MfE) said in June this year that we were “working with other countries on an international treaty on plastic pollution”.

It went on to outline the problem that “every year 19-23 million tonnes of plastic waste leaks into aquatic systems alone, harming marine life and ecosystems”.

The cynic in me would suggest that if that pollution came from the agricultural sector it would be front page news but because it comes from the oil industry that’s fine.

The prime minister’s Chief Science Adviser, Professor Juliet Gerrard, has been concerned about the amount of pollution that plastics have created and published her views on our options to reduce the problem.

They include wanting a National Plastics Plan, rethinking plastics in the government agenda and the need to mitigate environmental and health impacts of plastics.

According to the UN, microplastics have “infiltrated our oceans, soil and even the air we breathe”, and “humans constantly inhale and ingest microplastics”.

Microplastics “are linked to serious health issues such as endocrine disruption, weight gain, insulin resistance, decreased reproductive health and cancer”.

In addition, 8 million tonnes of plastic flow into the oceans annually with a correspondingly toxic effect on fish. These include severely affecting marine life and microplastics residing in tissue waiting to be consumed by a third party. Plastic is also a problem with our soil as the product in landfills can “take up to 1000 years to disintegrate”.

In the United States, 32 million tonnes of plastic goes into the landfills annually and will remain there for 1000 years.

Microplastics can also have a major effect on our flora and fauna and can be present in tap water.

Imagine for a minute if that amount of pollution had been generated by farming pursuits? There would be riots in the streets.

There has been much hue and cry about nitrates in waterways but the reality is microplastics are much worse. People wring their hands about glyphosate but it is more environmentally friendly than plastic.

We need to front-foot the issue by strongly arguing for the environmental friendliness of wool versus the environmental degradation caused by plastics. 

We tax fuel, why not tax plastics? Synthetic carpets would be a good start. We limit nitrogen application, why don’t we limit plastic use?

We were going to tax food production. Why not tax plastic pollution?

We tax alcohol and tobacco because of the harmful effects on health. Why not tax plastics for the same reason?

The only reason I knew about the proposed UN policy on plastics was from personal research and not from mainstream publications. I only figured we were a signatory by going through the MfE website.

Again, it was private research that showed me how environmentally destructive plastic was, how it was a major risk to our land, oceans and human health. Those stories need to be shouted from the rooftops.

As an aside, we shouldn’t pursue the issue on our own but should present it as a campaign from the wool-producing countries. Like what used to happen before New Zealand decided to go alone.

In the current debate rankings I’d give the oil companies 10 and the conservation and farming lobbies zero.

How I came onto the story was from a Greenpeace missive asking me to sign a petition opposing plastics. It called on the NZ government “to support a strong Global Plastics Treaty at the UN”. At the time of writing it had over 73,000 signatures, which should tell us that there is strong support for a move away from plastics.

That also tells me that we need to tell the story of wool a lot better than we are currently doing.

Maybe even a visit to Greenpeace to tell them what’s missing in their debate.

The potential trade flashpoint of the European Union’s deforestation regulations does not look like going away.

The view in Brussels is that implementation of the regulations, which obligate importers and European producers to provide evidence that certain products have not caused deforestation, will not be dropped but its implementation could be delayed.

The regulation covers products and their derivatives such as beef, leather, furniture, wood, paper, soy, cereals, chocolate, coffee, palm oil and rubber, including tyres.

Exporters say it is too far reaching, impacting countries such as New Zealand that do not have deforestation.

They claim that meeting the required EU standards will require historic and current satellite imagery or geolocation data of where the product was sourced.

The regulation, strongly promoted by non-government organisations, is designed to prevent deforestation of natural areas for production, such as the Amazon.

The policy applies to imports of related products into the EU and is scheduled to be implemented from January 1.

Such has been the backlash, including from NZ, that some in Brussels believe its implementation could be delayed to allow more consultation and deliberation but is unlikely to be abandoned.

More: Wallace is visiting seven countries in six weeks to report on market sentiment, a trip made possible with grants from Fonterra, Silver Fern Farms, Alliance, Beef + Lamb NZ, NZ Meat Industry Association and Rabobank.  Read more about his findings here.

In Focus Podcast | Meeting the market in the US and EU

Roving reporter Neal Wallace calls in from Brussels to share insights on the first week of his Meeting the Market tour. He’s been in the United States where some of our biggest customers are, including Mars and McDonald’s. Neal says they love NZ food but there are a couple of things we need to improve if we’re to remain as a supplier of first-choice.

Silver Fern Farms has partnered with Wellington-based Lynker Analytics to form a new company, Prism Earth, to help farmers better understand and capitalise on their natural vegetation and biodiversity.

Managing director of Prism Earth Matt Lythe told the Farmers Weekly In Focus podcast the company will help primary producers face up to critical challenges such as developing diversified revenue streams, adjusting to changing climatic conditions, meeting emissions targets and responding to changing buyer behaviour.

“Prism delivers an integrated set of capabilities that allow us to document in some detail landscapes, catchment scale or farm scale, in order to really look at that land use problem – what’s the best and highest value use of land? 

“It also does carbon and biodiversity mapping, climate risk analysis and farm-scale land use simulation to help farmers understand, budget for and adapt to climate and biodiversity challenges and opportunities,” Lythe said.

The technology will underpin SFF’s zero carbon red meat programmes and it has been approved by Toitū EnviroCare, the leading certifier in New Zealand.

And it will be available to any farmer, not just SFF suppliers.

“We’re ambitious for New Zealand and while we found a really great alignment of values with Silver Fern, their nature-positive goals, we are very much about trying to share this knowledge and information widely.”

Alongside artificial intelligence (AI), Prism also uses sensor data, geospatial analytics and visualisation software to deliver its services.

Lythe said Prism will not only support primary producers to realise the potential from their on-farm vegetation and biodiversity, but also help them to prepare for the impacts of climate change and increasing trade and market requirements.

“Future climate has the potential to drive major shifts in land use. These impacts won’t be distributed equally, and the level of adaptation needed will depend on location, land use and exposure of the farm,” Lythe said. 

“As previously suitable climatic conditions change, it is likely that pasture yields will shift and summer water demands will increase. Nitrate leaching could also be more variable, erosion rates can increase, and increasing heat stress could affect animal welfare and milk production from dairy cows.   

“We’re also seeing growing global requirements on a range of sustainability measures, through which trusted and verifiable data will play a key role in supporting farmers to navigate market access and realise the opportunities available,” he said.

Prism will work extensively with catchment groups to model science-based, long-term land use adaptation in economic, environmental, social and cultural terms.  This work will begin at Arai Te Uru Awa, a 23,000 hectare hill country catchment 10km southwest of Gisborne.

The government is pausing the rollout of Freshwater Farm Plans until system improvements are finalised.

Minor amendments to the Resource Management Act will be required to enable the pause, which ministers said will allow them to make changes to make implementing the plans more cost effective and fit for purpose.

“We have heard the concerns of the sector and Cabinet has agreed to pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans while potential changes are considered,” Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard said. 

“Minor amendments to the [RMA] will enable the pause. 

“Once these amendments are made, farmers will not be required to submit a Freshwater Farm Plan for certification while changes to the Freshwater Farm Plan system are underway. 

“We want Freshwater Farm Plans to acknowledge the good work many farmers are already doing. The key thing for farmers is to make a start and keep up their efforts – their work will not be wasted,” Hoggard said.

The government will work with the sector, iwi and regional councils to simplify requirements and enable more local catchment-level solutions.

Several regions have already started implementing Freshwater Farm Plans in specific areas, including Waikato, Southland, the West Coast, Otago, and Manawatū-Whanganui. 

Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said the government has moved swiftly to improve resource management laws and reduce costs for farmers. 

“In May, we introduced a Bill to amend the RMA to repeal intensive winter grazing regulations and change stock exclusion regulations to remove the contentious low slope map,” McClay said. 

“We are focused on getting Wellington out of farming and freeing up farmers to do what they do best – sustainably produce the high-quality and safe food the world needs.”