Farm Environment Plan implementation - freshwater management

About this goal

We report the progress of approximately 2900 farms required to implement Farm Environment Plans as part of their land-use consent to farm under the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan. A Farm Environment Plan requires the farmer to achieve the industry-agreed good management practice programme.

Why does it matter?

Land-use consent to farm and Farm Environment Plans are designed to manage farming activities that pose a high risk to the environment, such as farms with more than 50 hectares of irrigation or with winter grazing operations.

The setting of nitrogen loss limits and achieving good management practices on farms are key to maintaining and improving the water quality of the region’s rivers, streams, wetlands, lakes, estuaries and groundwater.

What's being done?

Around 1500 of these farms are managed through collectives or irrigation schemes, and the remaining 1400 are individual farms. Another 4500 farms in Canterbury operate under a Permitted Activity status because their activities are of lower environmental risk.