Freshwater Farm Plans

Geographic area activation and certification dates

• Find your dates

  Geographic area or catchment	Regulations activated	Submit plan for certification by
  Waipā freshwater management area (FMU)	1 August 2023	1 February 2025
  Middle Waikato FMU	1 January 2024	1 July 2025
  Upper Waikato FMU	1 January 2024	1 July 2025
  West Coast–South	1 January 2024	1 July 2025
  Lower Waikato FMU	1 July 2024	1 January 2026
  Hauraki FMU	1 January 2025	1 July 2026
  Lake Taupō FMU	1 July 2025	1 January 2027
  Coromandel FMU	1 July 2025	1 January 2027
  West Coast–North	1 July 2025	1 January 2027

  These dates have been determined by the Resource Management (Application of Part 9A—Freshwater Farm Plans) Order 2023

• What are my options for developing a freshwater farm plan?

  Anyone can develop a farm plan, and there are several pathways for doing so, including:

  Develop your plan through an industry programme that supports freshwater farm plans.

  We know a number of industry service providers have been working at pace to update their programmes. Please contact your provider to check what support they offer. 

  Engage a freshwater farm plan certifier, advisor or consultant.

  We expect a list of approved certifiers for our region will be available from 1 October. 

  Update your existing farm environment plan or other farm plan to meet freshwater farm plan certification requirements.

  See Appendix 2 of MfE’s Developing a Freshwater farm plan guidance for a full list of these requirements.

  Develop your own freshwater farm plan from scratch.

  Use MfE’s Developing a Freshwater farm plan guidance, or industry guidance.

  Freshwater farm plans will need to accurately reflect a considerable amount of information, so we recommend seeking professional support to develop your first plan.
• I’m ready to get started, what do I need to do?

  Tasks to complete before the final certification date for your area.

  1. Check whether you need a freshwater farm plan. Check the final submission date for your area.
  2. Select your preferred pathway:
     - through an industry programme
     - engage a certifier, advisor or consultant
     - update your existing farm plan to meet the requirements
     - create your own freshwater farm plan that meets the requirements.
  3. Get your freshwater farm plan developed.
  4. Ensure your farm plan is submitted to a certifier from our approved list before the final certification date for your area.

  Tasks you can complete after your farm plan has been submitted to a certifier.

  5. Achieve certification.
  6. Implement the actions in your freshwater farm plan.
  7. Engage an auditor (within 12 months of certification).
  8. Arrange your next audit, the timing of which is based on your audit grade.
  9. Get your freshwater farm plan recertified every five years, or earlier if required.

FAQs

• When do I need to have a plan submitted for certification?

  Both Waikato Regional Council and Environment Southland opted for a phased rollout within our regions – within parameters set by the Ministry for the Environment – to take account of different local conditions and support networks.

  This means farms in different parts of our region will need to have their freshwater farm plans submitted for certification by different dates.

  However, all areas will have the same amount of time (18 months from the point at which regulations are activated in their area) to prepare a plan and submit it for certification.

  Please check the final date by which you’ll need to submit your freshwater farm plan for certification on the map.
• Are freshwater management unit (FMU) boundaries and names different to districts?

  Freshwater management unit boundaries are not the same as district boundaries. FMUs are basin-shaped areas of land, bounded by natural features such as hills or mountains, from which water flows into streams, rivers and wetlands. The names 'upper' and 'lower' Waikato, for example, reflect the flow of water (rather than their orientation on the map) because the Waikato River flows from Taupō in the south to Port Waikato in the north.
• What’s the process for developing a freshwater farm plan?

  

  Find out more in MfE’s Developing a Freshwater farm plan guidance.
• How can I get ready for the freshwater farm plan system?

  Check which rollout area you’re in on the map. This will tell you when you’ll need to submit your freshwater farm plan by.

  Please note that freshwater management unit (FMU) boundaries do not match district boundaries. For example, your farm may be in the Waipā FMU even if it is not in the Waipā district.

  If you have a farm plan from your supplier or a consultant, check with them how they intend to update it to meet the requirements for freshwater farm plans.

  Check back on this page periodically for further guidance and updates. We expect certifiers to have been appointed and listed by 1 October 2023, and auditors by 1 January 2024.

  If your farm is in the in the Waipā FMU (the first area where the regulations have been activated) you’ll have 18 months from 1 August 2023 to have submitted your farm plan for certification. That’s plenty of time. But, if you’re keen to make a start, please consider which pathway for developing your farm plan is right for you and familiarise yourself with the support and guidance documents until certifiers are available for your area.
• Is there a freshwater farm plan template?

  Because every farm is different, there is no one-size-fits-all template for developing a freshwater farm plan.

  However, industry developed templates may be developed over time. You’re welcome to use such templates as long as they meet the freshwater farm plan certification requirements. See Appendix 2 of Developing a freshwater farm plan for a list of these requirements.  

  Appendix 6 of the Developing a freshwater farm plan guidance document also includes some example tables that may be useful for developing your farm plan. However, these do not represent a complete template.
• I already have a farm plan. Do freshwater farm plans align with this?

  The Ministry for the Environment expects that existing farm plan providers will update programmes to include the minimum content requirements of freshwater farm plans. They are working with sector farm environment plan providers to develop an effective approach.

  For a farm plan to be considered a freshwater farm plan it must include the minimum content requirements as certified by a freshwater farm plan certifier.
• Can I complete a freshwater farm plan on my own or do I have to pay a consultant?

  Farm operators are welcome to produce their own plans for certification. Guidance is available to support farmers to do this. However, we expect that many farm operators will engage a rural professional to create the bulk of their first freshwater farm plan in order to ensure it meets the minimum requirements.
• Why do I need to include Te Ao Māori (Māori worldview) perspectives in my farm plan?

  Every farm is part of a wider catchment and linking on-farm actions to the catchment is needed to deliver improved environmental and cultural outcomes for fresh water.

  Considering your catchment context will help you to create an action plan that protects your catchment’s unique qualities, cultural practices and recreational sites for future generations, as well as the environment.

  This information will be presented in a way that you can consider and integrate as part of your risk assessment.

  Māori values are consistent with good farming practices. Many also overlap with values commonly held across the farming community, such as the desire to leave the land in a good condition for future generations.
• Do I need an intensive winter grazing consent once I have a freshwater farm plan?

  Freshwater farm plans may, in some cases, be used instead of obtaining a resource consent for intensive winter grazing. You’ll need to show, however, that any adverse effects caused by winter grazing are no greater that those allowed for under the permitted activity (default) conditions.
• How do freshwater farm plans interact with Regional Plan Change 1?

  Proposed Waikato Regional Plan Change 1 is only applicable to farmers in the Waikato and Waipā river catchments. Plan Change 1 is subject to appeal to the Environment Court, and changes are likely.

  We anticipate Plan Change 1 will not have made its way through the Environment Court process until sometime in 2024.

  It is our hope there may be opportunity for better alignment with freshwater farm plans so that farmers and growers only need to engage with one farm planning system that satisfies all the applicable requirements.

  In the meantime, we will be working on guidance to support farmers and growers to prepare good farm plans. Ultimately, a decision on any changes to Plan Change 1 will be at the discretion of the Environment Court. We will endeavour to keep farmers and growers informed once further clarity is provided through this process.
• Will freshwater farm plans be one-size-fits-all?

  No, there will be no one-size-fits-all. In fact, this is a key feature of the Ministry’s approach, which was directly informed through consultation with farmers and industry representatives.

  Instead, on-farm actions will be tailored to the individual farming or growing enterprise and the farm’s unique surrounding environment.
• Once it’s been certified, how frequently will I need to get my freshwater farm plan audited?

  The better you do at sticking to the action plan set out in your freshwater farm plan, the less frequently you’ll need to be audited.

  Grade	Description	Next audit arranged within
  A	All actions categorised in the action plan as regulated actions, catchment actions and supplementary actions have been implemented within the timeframes required under the action plan.	3 years
  B	All actions categorised in the action plan as regulated actions and catchment actions have been implemented within the timeframes required under the action plan, but one or more actions categorised as supplementary actions have not been implemented within the required timeframes.	2 years
  C	All actions categorised in the action plan as regulated actions have been implemented within the timeframes required under the action plan, but one or more actions categorised as catchment actions have not been implemented within the required timeframes.	1 year
  D	One or more actions categorised in the action plan as regulated actions have not been implemented within the timeframes required under the action plan.  One or more actions categorised in the action plan as catchment actions or supplementary actions have still not been implemented within the timeframes required under the action plan following a subsequent audit.	6 months
• What’s the role of freshwater farm plan certifiers in the system?

  Freshwater farm plans will need to be certified.

  We will appoint freshwater farm plan certifiers for our region, and we plan to make the list available October 2023.

  If you need a farm plan, you’ll need to engage a certifier within 18 months of the regulations applying in your area. They’ll support you through the certification process.

  Once your freshwater farm plan has been certified, your certifier will notify us. You don’t need to do this separately.

  Freshwater farm plans will need to be recertified every five years.
• What’s the role of freshwater farm plan auditors in the system?

  Freshwater farm plans will need to be audited within 12 months of their initial certification.

  We will appoint freshwater farm plan auditors and make a list of auditors for our region available by 1 January 2024.

  You’ll need to arrange for an auditor to audit your farm. Once engaged, your auditor will support you through the audit process.

  The auditor will assess whether you’re implementing the freshwater farm plan as set out in your certified plan.

  Once the freshwater farm plan has been audited, the auditor will notify us of your audit grade. You don’t need to do this separately.

  The timeframe for the following audit will be determined by the audit grade. See question above regarding ‘audit frequency’.
• What role will existing industry programmes and assurance schemes provide under the freshwater farm plan system?

  Industry programmes will play a key role in enabling effective implementation and delivery of freshwater farm plans.

  The Ministry for the Environment is actively working with industry to update their programmes to align with the freshwater farm plan requirements.

  We expect number of industry assurance schemes and digital farm planning services will be updated to support freshwater farm plans.

  Please contact your service provider to check whether they are updating their programmes, when they may be able to help you develop your freshwater farm plan, and whether their programme is right for you.