Federate Farmers North Canterbury Province submitted on Hurunui District’s Plan Change 4, which proposed changes to its definitions for intensive farming and effluent disposal management, as well its setback rules for these two activities.
We broadly agreed to changes that aligned with definitions set by the National Planning Standards, but we disagreed with the Council’s own proposal to re-define Intensive outdoor primary production. The proposed definition had the potential to capture normal pastoral farming practices and we objected to its inclusion. Consequently, we also objected to the setback rules the definition would apply to, and we also recommended that setback rules should measured from the boundary of properties and not from where the activity takes place.
We await the next stage of the plan change process, where the Council will summarise all submissions and give all interested parties an opportunity to comment on other submissions. A hearing stage will follow and we will attend. We will keep our Hurunui members updated on progress.
You may review our submission in the attached.