Making sure all Taupo farmers get a fair deal under new rules

Environment Waikato is following up concerns that some farms in the Lake
Taupo catchment are beefing up stock numbers in defiance of new land use
rules that aim to cap the amount of nitrogen polluting Lake Taupo.

Since July, farmers have been required to obtain resource consents that
cap the amount of nitrogen leaching from their farming activities.

Ninety three per cent of the manageable nitrogen load in the catchment
comes from farming, with the biggest source being from livestock.

Land owners are being given nitrogen discharge allowances, benchmarked
on historical land use patterns from 2001-2005.

But Environment Waikato's Jan Hania who is managing the introduction of
these new rules in the area, said concerns have been raised that
thousands of extra dairy cows were brought into the Taupo catchment over
winter, well in excess of the numbers being farmed during the 2001 -
2005 benchmarking period.

"The increase in winter stocking numbers presents the greatest risk of
increased nitrogen leaching into the lake," he said.

"It's just not a fair go that some farmers increased their stock numbers
over winter and continue to carry extra cows.

"We are investigating landowners who are allegedly not complying with
the rules and they could face enforcement action."

The new rules to protect the water quality of Lake Taupo were proposed
in a Variation to the Waikato Regional Plan in July 2005 and came into
force in July this year. Although some aspects of the Variation have
been appealed to the Environment Court, the rules still apply.

Mr Hania said it was important farmers who were working toward gaining
their resource consent knew their efforts to do the right thing were not
in vain.

"It is great that a number of farmers are working through the process
and developing plans to operate successfully under the nitrogen cap - we
want to make it as easy as possible for them."

Mr Hania said the Lake Taupo Protection Trust had assisted in developing
booklets that have been sent to all affected farmers to explain the
benchmarking process, and to let them know help and advice was
available.

"We have gone to significant lengths to ensure farmers are informed
about our Regional Plan changes and many farmers have been very
proactive about working with us," he said.

"At this point farmers on about 17,000 ha of land either have, or are
close to having, a nitrogen discharge allowance. But the total
catchment covers more than 50,000 ha so there's still a long way to go."


For information about benchmarking, nitrogen discharge allowances or
Environment Waikato's new rules to protect water quality in Lake Taupo,
please call Jan Hania, Faith Baber or Derek Ryan at the council's Taupo
office on (07) 378 6539.