Canterbury Good Management Practice story

Farming is essential to the economy and as the community’s food basket. We acknowledge that farming has an impact on the land. Experience and science tell us that farming and the environment can work together, with the right checks and balances.

That’s why farmers are required to work to limits, informed by the best available science.

Our rules are already some of the toughest in the country. In particularly sensitive areas like Selwyn Te Waihora, they will continue to tighten. It’s about making a difference now, so the effects of the past can be mitigated and we can look to a sustainable, value-adding future.

The nitrogen loss limit is a measure of the environmental footprint within which the farm can operate.

The nitrogen losses for each farm are determined from a baseline of several years’ farming operations, and are usually set to reduce over time.

To work out the maximum amount of nitrogen losses, farmers first need to establish their losses. This is usually done with the help of a farm advisor.

• Find out more about the rules and standards for farmers.

In 2015, a group from across the agricultural industries worked together to agree a set of Good Management Practices. A major scientific process modelled nitrogen loss rates at Good Management Practice.

This industry-led process set the standard for what farmers should, at the minimum, be achieving. In Canterbury today, farming to Good Management Practice is now an accepted part of good business.

Participating industries:

• Foundation for Arable Research
• NZ Pork
• DairyNZ 
• Beef+Lamb NZ
• Horticulture NZ 
• Deer NZ.

Good Management Practice resources:

• Good winter grazing practice.
• Support for industry winter grazing initiatives.
• Excluding Stock from Waterways  (PDF File, 1.97MB)

To apply Good Management Practices to their own farms, each Canterbury farmer must create a Farm Environment Plan.

Working through the Farm Environment Plan helps them recognise on-farm environmental risks and set out a programme to manage those risks.

Each Farm Environment Plan is unique.  It reflects the local climate and soils, the type of farming operation, the requirements in planning rules, and the goals and aspirations of the land user.

The Farm Environment Plan is a living document; a report card to scrutinise farm performance against each Good Management Practice.

Mahinga kai targets are now often required in Farm Environment Plans. Mahinga kai is about the value of natural resources – our birds, plants, fish, and other animals and resources that sustain life, including the life of people.

Everyone has a part to play in protecting and enhancing mahinga kai. As the current guardians of the land where mahinga kai species live, landowners have clear responsibilities.

Since 2017, farmers in the Cultural Landscape Values Area around Te Waihora in the Selwyn catchment have had mahinga kai values and targets in their Farm Environment Plans.

Further reading

• Find out more about mahinga kai.
  
• Find out more about Farm Environment Plans and download approved templates.

The focus in Canterbury has now shifted from planning to monitoring and review of land use consents, property nitrogen loss limits and Farm Environment Plans, and implementation of an audit programme.

Environment Canterbury is the first regional council in New Zealand to introduce such a comprehensive review process.

The Farm Environment Plan Audit recognises all the Good Management Practice work the farmer has done and the limits they are working to, and provides a measurable process to enforce these expectations.

During the audit, the farmer must present evidence that their farming meets the standards expected from the Industry Agreed Good Management Practices, as well as the property nitrogen loss limits and any specific conditions of the land use consent.

Getting ready for the audit takes time, as it involves many different types of evidence. These include records relating to all Good Management Practices, as well as farm diaries, photos, soil records, inspection sheets, maintenance records and nitrogen loss calculations.

Information is also required for a pre-audit check covering a review of the Farm Environment Plan, the nutrient budget, land use consent, and previous audit results.

The auditor reviews the documentation and asks questions about farming practices. They view the farm, noting Good Management Practices in place and areas for improvement, and provide an audit report, grade, and actions for improvement.

The farmer reviews the audit report before it is finalised and provided to Environment Canterbury, the irrigation scheme or farm collective.

The date of first audits is either 12 months from approval of the land use consent or determined by the farm’s scheme or collective.

Timeframes for subsequent audits depend on the previous grade:

• A grade = 3 years (4 within an irrigation scheme)
• B grade = 2 years
• C grade = 12 months
• D grade = 6 months
• Change in manager or farm systems = 12 months.

A and B grades are compliant with the land use consent, while C and D grades are non-compliant. To receive an A grade a farmer needs to achieve a high level of competency across every Good Management Practice.

Receiving a C or D audit grade is a signal that something is wrong and the farm is not meeting the agreed Good Management Practices or property nitrogen loss limits. The farmer is expected to develop a plan based on the actions provided by the auditor. The action plan will be included in the Farm Environment Plan, and is required before the farmer can receive an A or B grade on the next audit, which will be within 6 months (D grade) or a year (C grade). Another C or D grade will result in enforcement action being taken to require improvement.

Independent, qualified auditors

All Farm Environment Plan auditors are independent and certified by Environment Canterbury or connected to an Environment Canterbury-approved ISO accredited audit programme, such as Synlait’s Lead with Pride, to ensure their competency and consistency.

Checks are made on the proficiency of the auditor and their adherence to the Canterbury Farm Environment Plan Auditor Manual. They also undertake training in particular areas such as mahinga kai (PDF File, 10.78MB).

Using audit data

Farm Environment Plan audit information is used for planning and to support Environment Canterbury’s work. It is reported to communities, Ngāi Tahu and industry to demonstrate progress towards meeting Good Management Practice standards. This information is treated as private, and is reported at an aggregated level.

More information

• Find out more about FEP audits.
• Information for auditors.
• Mahinga kai: A guide for rural consultants and auditors (PDF File, 10.78MB).
• Winter grazing guidelines and best practice.

To help farmers understand the requirement for a land use consent to farm, we developed an award-winning campaign.

Call to action - five steps to getting the 'thumbs up'

1. Create your Farm Environment Plan
2. Prepare your nutrient budget
3. Apply for your resource consent
4. Have your Farm Environment Plan audited
5. Plan for reductions in nitrogen loss

Tactics

• Media editorial and advertising – including urban to build awareness of the programme farmers were undertaking.
• Letters to farmers with the '5 steps', including Q&A and website links - staged (to allow for capacity of rural professionals and consents staff) and targeted (highest-risk in nutrient red zones first).
• Drop-in sessions.
• Industry-led workshops.
• Follow-up phone calls and visits.

After our initial focus on irrigation schemes, we targeted the few sensitive lake farms. We then focused on farms with more than 50 hectares of irrigation, followed by zone-specific campaigns.

Most farms in Canterbury are now consented or well on the way towards it. We next sent warning letters to the few farms that had not yet obtained their consent or taken steps towards doing so.

Then we focused on the Farm Environment Plan audit and reporting on the performance of Canterbury farms in relation to Good Management Practice.

Reporting back

We report back to the community on how we are going with several of the activities described above - numbers of Farm Environment Plans; what FEP audits are showing; awareness of mahinga kai values and stock exclusion.

• Find out more about our freshwater management monitoring and progress.

Case studies modelling Good Management Practice have been features of our campaign to create awareness among farmers and the urban audience.

Case studies:

• Alastair and Carey Barnett implement Good Management Practice (PDF File, 771.66KB).
• Legg dairy farm, Selwyn Te Waihora (PDF File, 75KB).
• Farmer's 'A' for environmental performance (PDF File, 109.54KB).
• Farmers learn about protecting Māori food sources (PDF File, 72.5KB).
• Lifestyle block owners focus on good management (PDF File, 113.14KB).
• Good Management Practices improve environmental outcomes (PDF File, 100.6KB).
• Cutting edge technology key to meeting GMP (PDF File, 98.8KB).
• Protecting environment boosts bottom line (PDF File, 109.13KB).

Zone Implementation Programmes include a range of outcomes that require on-the-ground action rather than regulation. Zone committees, zone delivery teams and many others including primary sector organisations work to achieve these via local catchment projects aimed to improve ecosystem health and biodiversity.

Further reading

• NZ Pork: Sustainable farming.
• DairyNZ: Nutrient management.
• DairyNZ: The vision is clear.
• Horticulture NZ: Good Management Practice.
• Whakaora Te Waihora programme: Current projects.
• Selwyn water recharge project.
• Mahinga kai.
• Ashburton managed aquifer recharge project.
• Restoration and planting projects in Canterbury.