Waikato Regional Council has today notified a proposed change to its regional plan to allow the use of updated Overseer versions in the Taupō farming rules.

The current rules in Chapter 3.10 of the Waikato Regional Plan specify that nitrogen leaching must be modelled using Overseer version 5.4.3. This version expires in December 2020.

Plan Change 2: Taupō Overseer Version allows the use of the latest version of Overseer and any subsequent versions, ensuring the water quality of Lake Taupō remains protected.

The council approved notification of the proposed plan change, which follows a streamlined planning process, at a meeting held last month (26 March).

The streamlined planning process is a simplified process provided for in the Resource Management Act and is appropriate to use given the technical nature of the proposed change. This process is directed by the Minister for the Environment who then makes the final decision on the proposed change.

Extensive consultation with the 83 affected farmers and consent holders has been carried out in the lead up to the proposed plan change with no significant issues raised.

As part of the notification of the proposed plan change a public notice has been published in today’s Waikato Times, NZ Herald and Dominion Post. More details on plan change 2 and the streamlined planning process are available at waikatoregion.govt.nz/taupo-overseer.

In the meantime, council staff will work with farmers to enable their seamless transition from Overseer version 5.4.3 to its latest version and ensure nitrogen allocations are appropriately managed and accounted for.

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