Overhaul of the Resource Management Act - 30th Nov 2015

No waterway fences will bring instant fines!

Legislation aimed at overhauling the Resource Management Act will enable the Government to introduce national regulations that require farm stock to be fenced out of rivers and lakes, with instant fines for breaches.

Read the article: http://farmersweekly.co.nz/article/no-waterway-fences-will-bring-instant-fines?p=1

Except from the fourth Report of the Land and Water Forum.

Stock Exclusion

Government asked the Forum for advice on the form of a national regulation to exclude stock from
waterways. We have recommended a framework that excludes dairy cattle, beef cattle, deer and
pigs from waterways on the plains and in lowland hills over time, while allowing flexibility in the
means by which this is done. Under this framework, councils will be able to require exclusion of
stock from critical source areas and areas of ecological importance in terrain where the national
stock exclusion regulation does not apply – such as hill country.
We have also made recommendations requiring the appropriate riparian setbacks and management
strategies. We suggest that the appropriate setback width should vary at different points along the
waterway according to the terrain, the contaminants being managed, and the effectiveness of
alternative mitigations.