Freshwater Reform and Covered Crops

The recent update of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) has potential implications for all producers. The NPS-FM provides national level guidance for regional councils on how freshwater is managed under the Resource Management Act (RMA).  Regional Plans must take into account the NPS-FM which sets water quality and quantity objectives. Resource consents for tomato growers with regard to water use and waste water discharge are granted by regional councils and unitary authorities who will be updating their regional plans to align with this new legislation. 

As councils across the country update regional plans there is increasing pressure on all producers to quantify the affect their operations may have on freshwater resources.  Not only in terms of water used but also in regard to how production activities may affect water quality for the catchment that they are in.  

TomatoesNZ in conjunction with VegetablesNZ Inc are co-funding a project that will provide a technical resource for growers managing nutrient discharge, demonstrate to regional councils that greenhouse growers have robust technical data to support their nutrient discharge practices, update the current Greenhouse Nutrient Discharge Code of Practice for growers to use as part of the consenting process or demonstrate compliance with regional plans and provide a consenting template.

Initially this project covers the Auckland region as this is the council leading the way with regards to implementing the NPS-FM. The grower group involved in the project are mainly from around Auckland with others from outside the region included to ensure there is a national perspective and ensure information collected and developed can be transferred to other regions as the need arises.

The project will look at:

• Quantifying the current nutrient discharge by the greenhouse industry (sector load analysis).
• This data will then be used to determine the ideal nutrient allocation from an industry perspective (most likely by catchment).  The information will be the basis of determining allocations of nutrient discharge in collaboration with the Auckland Council.
• Updating the Code of Practice with the intention that this becomes the basis of the consents. This will take into account current practices for managing waste water and nutrient discharge.
• Development of a template that will be used either as part of the consent process or to demonstrate compliance.

The project will allow the covered crops group to negotiate a collective agreement for the benefit of all which individuals would not have the power to achieve including

•  a more consistent framework for the application and assessing of resource consents.
• better timeframes and conditions for these consents.
• a nutrient allocation to the industry to provide certainty in the long term.
• less expense and a simplified process for applying for consents.