Urgent action needed to restore Waikato lakes' health
Waikato is home to a diverse range of lakes, and experts say they urgently need better management and restoration.
The Government will take the next few months to go over 12,000 submissions and work on the proposed Essential Freshwater package.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor told Rural News that as a result of submissions he would expect changes to the freshwater proposals. Submissions closed last Thursday.
He says DairyNZ’s analysis, released last week, is “a valuable contribution” to the body of evidence the consultation has produced.
O’Connor in recent weeks encouraged stakeholders to propose solutions to water quality issues. He thanked all the sector groups and farmers for their work on the proposals. “We’ll take the next few months to go over the more than 12,000 submissions and work on the proposals: that will include talking to sector groups.
O’Connor says the Government has heard the concerns regarding nutrient bottom lines: this will be looked at closely.
“Our consultation document was clear that no decision would be made on nitrogen and phosphorous bottom lines until comprehensive impact analysis has been completed.”
O’Connor says there are several areas of DairyNZ’s report worth noting. “Critically, the baseline used in DairyNZ’s report excludes existing requirements. Actions required under the 2014 National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management are ignored.
“Many of the changes identified in the report would have needed to be made under existing policy.”
He agrees with DairyNZ that the right solution will balance environmental sustainability with economic prosperity.
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
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