Water
Water is the lifeblood of farming and food production. Water is also central to the interests and concerns of other sector groups and tensions around water quantity and quality have been difficult in many regions. Federated Farmers has supported moves towards more collaborative ways of working together at national, regional and catchment levels and strongly advocates for investment in infrastructure and innovation to deliver win-win outcomes.
Federated Farmers warmly welcomed recent Government announcements for expanded investments in rural water infrastructure. Developing the water and land resource is front and centre for the New Zealand economy. The expectation of structuring projects to also deliver wins for water quality and the environment is embedded in the irrigation acceleration programme. Federated Farmers welcomes acknowledgement of the role that Government may take in future equity partnerships. The benefits of strategic investments in productive water infrastructure extend well past the farm gate and well beyond the current generation.
Federated Farmers is actively participating in the Land and Water Forum, assisting the development of new national policy frameworks for setting and managing to limits. Federated Farmers supports strengthened national guidance for water management, while emphasising specific decisions on limits and targets must be made by local communities. These decisions must be informed by excellent science and balance all values.
Federated Farmers supports industry self management as the primary mechanism for improving land use practices. Across the primary sector, all industry groups have made significant investments in the development of Good Management Practices and formal Audited Self Management programmes are already operational in a number of export-led sectors. While sector groups are taking a lead on sector-based environmental programmes, Federated Farmers has a broader interest in supporting coordinated industry initiatives, and in the interface between industry led programmes, government policy instruments and council plans. Federated Farmers believe a pan-sectoral agricultural approach can and will deliver water quality outcomes.
Federated Farmers note the Government's intent to explore a range of policy approaches including market-based instruments for both water quality and water quantity. Minimising transaction costs is a key test in the development of water allocation systems. Transfers within scheme and catchment boundaries should be facilitated, but the practicalities of catchment hydrology and reticulation infrastructure would generally constrain the development of water trading systems. Minimising transaction costs is equally pertinent in nutrient management systems. The emphasis must be on results, not on regulation or paper-heavy "cap-and-trade" systems which too often deliver perverse or unintended consequences. Federated Farmers support the partnership approach; industry-led self management with regulatory oversight, working partnerships to support uptake of good industry management practices and re-alignment of consent and compliance activities to minimise duplication with industry-led programmes.
Federated Farmers recognise some catchments are particularly sensitive to the effects of historic and current land use activities. Most often the causes are complex and excellent science is required to inform sound decision-making about effective and cost-effective actions. Federated Farmers recommend sensitive catchments be explicitly identified and prioritised for collaborative industry-government initiatives and investments. Where pressures are especially significant, the development of transition pathways for farms requires very careful consideration of the economic and social costs of change.
Federated Farmers is a longstanding advocate for science and innovation to underpin resilient, profitable farming systems. A paradigm shift is needed at all levels of science and policy to re-engage the ingenuity, innovation and pragmatism of farmers and scientists to capitalise on the productivity of the land-water interface, including ways to integrate aquaculture and agriculture in inland waterways and estuaries.
Federated Farmers wants
- Continued commitment to the strategic and economic importance of public/private investment in rural water infrastructure
- Increased recognition of industry self management as the primary vehicle for delivering water quality outcomes
and reduced duplication with council consent and compliance requirements
- Identification and prioritisation of sensitive catchments for collaborative industry-government investments
- An expanded portfolio of research to explore opportunities to harness the productivity of the land-water interface.
Spokesperson
Federated Farmers water spokesperson is national board member Ian MacKenzie, you can contact him at imackenzie@fedfarm.org.nz.
