25 July 2019

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council will next week carry out winter compliance flights, to monitor the region’s farming operations for evidence of over-stocking or where winter grazing practices don’t meet land use rules.

Regional Council Group Manager Regulation Liz Lambert says in recent years, primary industry groups and regional councils have had very consistent and combined messaging to landowners on good practice winter crop management.

“Farmers are increasingly aware of the impact that poor winter grazing practices have on water quality. At the start of winter we put out a reminder to livestock grazers to operate inside the rules so they don’t unintentionally become a feedlot,” says Liz Lambert.

The Regional Council has 16 resource consents for feedlots and will monitor these over winter. Fifteen of these are active, which is unchanged from 2018.

Mrs Lambert says this year’s compliance flights will highlight any issues and the Regional Council will take enforcement action where there is evidence of non-compliance with regional rules.

All known feedlots in Hawke’s Bay now have a resource consent to operate and these consents are monitored. The aerial inspection in winter 2018 showed an improvement in winter grazing practices.

“Winter grazing practices have improved over the past few years and we have less evidence of poor performance, and the need for enforcement action. Nevertheless, we continue to monitor livestock farms and their land use practices over winter,” adds Mrs Lambert.

By grazing paddocks strategically, excluding stock from waterways and leaving an un-grazed buffer zone around critical source areas, farmers can ensure a lot less sediment and nutrients gets into waterways.

Feedlots and feedpads are subject to specific rules. They are also a subset of more widespread winter grazing practices, which must meet good practice guidelines. Information on Good Farm Practices to improve production, performance and land use is at hbrc.govt.nz, search: #GFP.

Farmers who graze stock strategically, exclude stock from waterways and who leave an un-grazed buffer zone around critical source areas can ensure that much less sediment and nutrients get into waterways.

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