Agricultural intensification

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Agricultural intensification can lead to higher levels of nutrients, sediment and microbial contamination in our rivers, lakes, wetlands and groundwater.

The Essential Freshwater package aims to limit this contamination by requiring resource consent for various land use conversions over 10 hectares.

If you want to intensify your farming operation, you need to consider the rules under the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater (NES-F) as well as those in the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP).

There may also be specific rules for some zones that you will need to know.

If you have an existing Farming Land Use Consent, you must still comply with the Essential Freshwater regulations outlined below. Contact your zone’s land management advisor if you have any questions or would like to discuss your options.

farming landscape

Agricultural intensification regulations

Converting forest to pasture

If you’re converting more than 10 hectares of plantation forestry to pastoral land use you will require resource consent.

Any conversion or intensification that happened before 3 September 2020 does not need a resource consent under the NES-F.

Converting farmland to dairy support land

Any increase in the amount of land used for dairy support, above the maximum that was used between 1 July 2014 – 30 June 2019, requires resource consent.

For example, if the maximum amount of land used for dairy support at any time between I July 2014 – 30 June 2019 was 30 ha, any use of land over 30 ha requires resource consent. Any conversion or intensification that happened before 3 September 2020, 30 ha or less does not need a resource consent under the NES-F.

Converting farmland to dairy farmland

If you’re converting more than 10 hectares (ha) of farmland to dairy farmland use you will require resource consent.

Converting non-irrigated dairy farmland to irrigated dairy farmland

If you’re converting more than 10 hectares (ha) of non-irrigated dairy farmland to irrigated dairy farmland use, you will require resource consent.

Intensive winter grazing

If you're increasing the area of land used for intensive winter grazing above the greatest area used (at any one time) between 1 July 2014 - 30 June 2019, you will require resource consent.

Find out more about intensive winter grazing regulations under the Essential Freshwater package.

Please note that comprehensive information is required for a resource consent application and we recommend you contact us to arrange a free pre-application meeting with a Consent Planner.

Need help?

If you have any questions about agricultural intensification, please contact your local Land Management Advisor.

More information

Useful definitions relating to agricultural intensification

Pastoral land use

Pastoral land use is the use of land for the grazing of livestock.

Plantation forestry

Plantation forestry or plantation forest is a forest deliberately established for commercial purposes that is at least 1ha of continuous forest cover of forest species that has been planted, and has or will be harvested or replanted, and includes all associated forestry infrastructure.

It doesn’t include:

a shelter belt of forest species, where the tree crown cover has, or is likely to have, an average width of less than 30m
forest species in urban areas
nurseries and seed orchards
trees grown for fruit or nuts
long-term ecological restoration planting of forest species
willows and poplars space planted for soil conservation purposes.

Dairy support land

Dairy support land is land on a farm that is used for grazing dairy support cattle.

Dairy support cattle

Dairy support cattle are cattle that are farmed for producing milk, but are not being milked (for example, because they are heifers or have been dried off) and are grazed on land that is not grazed by dairy cattle.