| 31 MEAT & WOOL » Logan Wallace ORC urged to press pause on LWRP Fenced and planted waterway in an area of the farm that has a water scheme. Kim Newth Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Chair for Otago, Logan Wallace says the Otago Regional Council needs to put the brakes on notifying a draft Otago Land and Water Regional Plan, given that the coalition Government is signalling a clear change of direction and pursuing legislative reform on resource management and freshwater. The proposed LRWP is due to be notified on 31 October with its rules taking legal effect from that date. Over the past two years or more, the Otago Regional Council has put considerable work into developing a new Regional Policy Statement (RPS) and a draft Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP), in consultation with the Otago community. The plan is consistent with Te Mana o Ted Wai that makes the health and well-being of waterways the top priority in freshwater regulation. In mid-December 2023, the coalition government announced it would replace the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 (NPS-FM). In May, it introduced a Resource Management Bill that proposed excluding the hierarchy of obligations in the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management from resource consenting, as well as repealing low slope map and associated requirements from stock exclusion regulations and other significant changes. “With a new Government signalling a change of direction, we think it is reasonable to ask for a delay on notification of the proposed Otago Land and Water Regional Plan. Once it takes effect then we would have one attempt to change it through the Freshwater Commissioners and that would be an incredibly expensive process involving the Environment Court. “It’s a hideous situation for farmers here. There’s so much to grapple with and, in the meantime, people are not spending on irrigation as they don’t know if they have security on water.” In their detailed submission on the proposed Otago LWRP last November, Federated Farmers urged the Council to recognise the need to balance water body and ecosystem health with broader environmental, community and economic considerations. The submission expressed concern about the potential economic impact on farmers and recommended an additional round of consultation before the draft LWRP is officially notified. The submission also took aim at a proposed stipulation that sheep be included in stock exclusion requirements, (to be set back 10m from a waterbody on low slope land). “Most other stock apart from sheep are already excluded,” observes Logan. “Excluding sheep would be incredibly expensive. Sheep fencing costs around $16,000 to $20,000 a kilometre. To meet these proposed additional stock exclusion requirements on our property would cost around $200,000. There’d need to be a major upgrade in the water scheme as well to supply additional water if there was no natural water available to stock. What’s more, there are plenty of examples of wash-outs happening after sheep have been fenced off and are no longer grazing by waterways, so you have to question the rationale.” Logan suggests that urban ratepayers in the region also face potentially hefty increases to their rates if proposed changes, such as on wastewater, are notified. “What we want is an enduring planning framework that’s fit for purpose, provides certainty and takes into account the environment as well as people, economics and animal welfare.” Peter Chisholm 027 433 8943 • cmcadmin@xtra.co.nz Leigh McHaffie 027 454 5139 | Manager 027 770 4182 Office Administration 03 208 5585 Hours Mon - Thur 9am -12pm PETER CHISHOLM Mobile: 027 433 8943 Email: peterchisholm@xtra.co.nz LEIGH MCH Mobile: 027 454 5139 CULTIVATION Ploughing Discing Power Harrowing Cultivator Mole Ploughi Ripping BALING Mowing Mower Conditioner Tedding Raking Small Square baling Round baling – with variable chamber balers Baleage Combination baler Individual wrapper Tube Wrapper CARTAGE ON FARM USING TRACTOR TRAILERS CONTACT: CMC C NTRACTING CAN OFFER: SEEDING Fodder Beat precision sowing Direct Drill with rubber tyred roller Grass roller drill Heva 6m roller seeder Power harrow ridger combination DIGGER CULTIVATION Ploughing Discing Power Harrowing Cultivator Mole Ploughing Ripping BALING Mowing Mower Conditioner Tedding Raking Small Square baling Round baling – with variable chamber balers Baleage Combination baler Individual wrapper Tube Wrapper CARTAGE ON FARM USING TRACTOR TRAILERS CMC CONTRACTING CAN OFFER: SEEDING Fodder Beat precision sowing Direct Drill with rubber tyred roller Grass roller drill Heva 6m roller seeder Power harrow ridger combination DIGGER
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