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Funding will be available to support actions like installing mini wetlands, removing sediment, riparian planting, helping farmers with stock exclusion and developing farm plans.
The Government has taken on board dairy sector feedback in its revised Essential Freshwater package but issues remain, says DairyNZ.
Over the last eight months the dairy lobby has advocated for an evidence-based and pragmatic approach to freshwater regulation.
DairyNZ chief executive Tim Mackle says it is pleased to see the Government has listened and made significant changes to some of the more controversial elements of their original proposal.
However, there’s still a sting in the tail, says Mackle.
“Like all New Zealanders, dairy farmers share ambitions for healthy waterways and have invested a lot of time and money for over a decade in improved management systems, upgrading effluent systems, riparian planting and fencing streams to exclude cattle.
“Looking at where the policy has landed, it appears that the Government have taken a better approach in terms of scientific rigour and practicality for farmers on the ground.”
The Government have parked the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) measure and removed the impractical and expensive requirement for farmers to move existing fences to meet new stock exclusion guidelines, two policies of great concern for farmers.
But DairyNZ is also concerned that the minister intends to revisit the DIN in 12 months.
Mackle says the proposed 95% protection standard will severely affect farmers in catchments who are already taking significant action towards reducing their footprint in line with new Regional Council policy plans.
For example, in Canterbury’s Selwyn and Hinds zones farmers are already working towards a 30% reduction in nitrogen. Under these new regulations, these reductions may need to increase to 70% to meet the standards being proposed.
“The Government and regional councils need to take a more nuanced approach when it comes to rolling out plans in regions where farmers are already undergoing significant change due to recent nutrient limits.”
DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
DairyNZ has pulled together tactics that will help farmers improve on-farm efficiency and have positive benefits for the environment. These tactics are based on research, data, and lessons from leading farmers.
The design and construction of an effective dairy effluent system is a complex process.
After serving three as a DairyNZ director, Waikato farmer Chris Lewis is ready for another term.
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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DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.
According to the most recent Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, farmer confidence has inched higher, reaching its second highest reading in the last decade.
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