12 January 2015

MEDIA RELEASE

Irricon farm environment plan template approved

Environment Canterbury today announced its approval of another farm environment plan template under the proposed Land & Water Regional Plan. The template was developed by environmental consultants Irricon Resource Solutions.

Acknowledging the quality of the template, Environment Canterbury Chief Executive Bill Bayfield said Irricon had met all the requirements of Schedule 7 of the proposed Land & Water Regional Plan.

“We hope the farm environment plans that come from this template are valuable both for farmers and for Irricon,” Mr Bayfield said. “It was pleasing to see as part of the application an on-farm risk assessment guide, which the Farm Environment Plan Assessment Panel found particularly good for making the template useful for those implementing it, setting out a clear list of actions to be undertaken together with dates.

“The Land & Water Regional Plan is a primary delivery mechanism of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy,” Mr Bayfield said. “It is therefore reassuring to see in this template a methodology that will enable development of plans identifying actual and potential environmental effects and risks to properties, addresses those effects and risks, and has a high likelihood of appropriately avoiding, remedying or mitigating them.”

The documents presented to the Panel had been completed using the actual example of Irricon principal Keri Johnston’s South Canterbury property.

Ms Johnston said she was delighted that the farm environment plan had been recognised as meeting the standard set by Environment Canterbury. “I believe we have created a farmer-friendly farm environment plan – it has been prepared by a farmer for farmers, and I can’t wait to get it out there,” she said.

Under the proposed Land & Water Regional Plan, a farm environment plan will need to be produced in any circumstances where an application for consent to farm is required.

“There are several situations where a consent will be needed at different times in future, depending on how at risk water quality is in the zone where the property is located,” Bill Bayfield said.

“Irrespective of the rules, we encourage all farmers to prepare farm environment plans. They will help identify environmental and business risks and planning for their management. International markets are increasingly demanding proven sustainability, and farm environment plans are one way to demonstrate this.”

Under Schedule 7 of the proposed Land & Water Regional Plan, farm environment plans can be prepared either by landowners themselves or via industry-prepared templates and guidance material.

Minimum content is specified, and all farm environment plans must include an assessment of the adverse environmental effects and risks associated with the farming activities and how those effects and risks will be managed, including irrigation, application of nutrients, effluent application, stock exclusion from waterways, offal pits and farm rubbish pits. Farm environment plans must be auditable.

For more information on the proposed Land & Water Regional Plan, go to www.ecan.govt.nz/lwrp, and on farm environment plans specifically, www.ecan.govt.nz/lwrp-farmers

For information on Irricon, go to www.irricon.co.nz

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