Federated Farmers seeks intervention on nitrogen rules and welcomes gravel standards

Federated Farmers is urging the government to intervene regarding the Horizons Regional Council’s Plan Change 2 (PC2). The plan aims to provide a consenting pathway for 167 dairy farmers who have struggled to obtain nitrogen discharge consents since 2015.

Manawatū-Rangitikei Federated Farmers president Ian Strahan warned that the plan could set farmers up for failure, noting that farmers would have only 12 months to submit applications once PC2 becomes operative. Failure to meet this window would turn applications from controlled to discretionary activities, increasing costs and pressure. To qualify, farms must achieve significant nitrogen loss reductions within two years of receiving consent.

Separately, Federated Farmers president Colin Hurst welcomed the National Party’s proposal to introduce national standards for river gravel extraction and on-farm quarries. The organization stated these rules would reduce red tape and costs for farmers who currently face expensive resource consent processes for routine activities, such as maintaining farm tracks or managing riverbed buildup to mitigate flood risks.