Waikato Regional Council has this week opened for applications from rural professionals wanting to be certified farm nutrient advisors (CFNA).

It’s an important next step as the council works to implement Healthy Rivers/Wai Ora: Proposed Waikato Regional Plan Change 1.

Applications must be completed online at www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/for-rural-professionals using a RealMe login.

“An online application form has been built to make it easy for professionals to register and for certification to be approved by council staff,” said Sonia Baker, farming services plan implementation team leader.

Terms of Agreement for the certification of CFNAs set the criteria and manner in which professionals must conduct themselves before becoming certified.

Applicants must demonstrate that they are registered as a Certified Farm Nutrient Advisor (CNMA) by the Nutrient Management Advisor Certification Programme and agree to be bound by the Terms of Agreement.

“We’ve set these standards so landowners can have confidence in the advice they are being provided with when developing their nitrogen reference points,” Ms Baker said.

Most properties over 20 hectares will need to provide a nitrogen reference point to the council within the submission window of 1 May to 30 November 2020.

One of the tools CFNAs will be required to use is Overseer. “We are working on a document which will guide CFNAs in the use of Overseer in the preparation of nitrogen reference points and expect this document to be available later this week,” Ms Baker said.

Information on those certified will be publicly available on the council’s website, as required by the plan change.

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