Hawke’s Bay Regional Council hits the first regulation deadline for landowners in the Tukituki catchment on Thursday 31 May.

The deadline relates to the Tukituki Plan, which requires owners of land over 4 hectares to show evidence of a Farm Environment Management Plan.

Over 75% of the Tukituki catchment is now covered by a Farm Plan, with 360 Farm Plans or low intensity confirmations still to be done.

Regulation Manager Liz Lambert urges landowners - who haven’t contracted a farm plan provider - to make this job a priority.

“We’ve been clear and consistent on the need for farm plans with the 1,100 affected Tukituki properties,” says Mrs Lambert.

“I want to thank and acknowledge the early work of hundreds of landowners in Central Hawke’s Bay, working with approved Farm Plan providers. These farmers, owners and operators have done the right thing by us and the environment to get their Farm Plans sorted,” says Mrs Lambert.

The Regional Council’s land management team has also been behind the concerted effort in Central Hawke’s Bay and the lower Tukituki catchment to support farmers and other landowners to obtain farm plans.

“We are now on the deadline. We have 590 completed Farm Plans or low intensity confirmations, with 150 in progress. That’s great news, but not enough. Our efforts now turn to non-compliant landowners who have no excuse not to act, or require us to,” adds Mrs Lambert.

The Regional Council will shortly make further contact with non-compliant Tukituki catchment landowners and give until 29 June to receive a satisfactory response to the farm plan requirement. After this date, enforcement action or prosecution proceedings will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Any landowner who still needs to complete or start the process for a Farm Plan can get more information at hbrc.govt.nz, search: #farmplan.

© Scoop Media