Hon David Parker - 23/03/2007
- The government is applauding businesses
that are making a positive contribution
to tackling climate change and improving
environmental sustainability.
Westpac today launched the Green Home Loan
– an initiative that helps homeowners to
make their houses more energy efficient
and environmentally friendly. Contact Energy,
Insurance Australia Group, Meridian Energy
and Bank of New Zealand have all recently
made moves to develop more sustainable business
practices.
Housing and Conservation Minister Chris
Carter, who attended the launch of Westpac’s
initiative in Auckland today, said the scheme
was a great example of how businesses could
support New Zealanders to be more sustainable
and reduce their environmental impact.
“I congratulate Westpac on their innovation.
By helping homeowners to make better decisions
about how they build, improve and use their
houses, Westpac is also helping preserve
New Zealand's natural heritage,” Chris Carter
said.
"Our environment is very much a part
of the experience of living in New Zealand.
I am delighted to see businesses shouldering
some of the responsibility of nurturing
it, and helping their customers do so too."
As part of the Westpac scheme, home loan
customers are given a voucher booklet that
contains heavily discounted environmental
products such as solar hot water heaters,
insulation and energy-efficient appliances,
courtesy of several New Zealand businesses.
Climate Change Minister David Parker said
Westpac is one of many examples of a business
in New Zealand recognising the increasing
importance of factoring sustainability initiatives
into its work.
“There are now growing numbers of businesses
in New Zealand taking positive action through
sustainability initiatives. BNZ recently
revealed plans to go carbon neutral by 2010,
and insurance company IAG NZ has announced
it aims to be carbon neutral by 2012. Contact
Energy has undertaken to reduce emissions
from all of its non-generation activities
as far as possible, and then pay to offset
the remainder through Landcare Research’s
CarboNZero certification scheme. Meridian
Energy is now a certified Carbon Neutral
electricity generator for their electricity
generation as well as their administration,”
David Parker said.
“There has been a strong shift towards
sustainable business practice in New Zealand
over the past year. This demonstrates that
businesses are increasingly seeing that
it makes both environmental and economic
sense to be green.”
The development of Westpac’s Green Home
Loan scheme was supported by the Ministry
for the Environment as part of its sustainable
industry programme.
Calling all environmental champions
Hon David Benson-Pope - 23/03/2007 - Environment
Minister David Benson-Pope today called
for environmental champions to be nominated
for the 2007 Green Ribbon Awards.
Nominations for these prestigious awards
are open to all individuals, businesses
and community organisations who are sustaining,
protecting and enhancing New Zealand’s environment.
“New Zealanders are committed to environmental
sustainability,” says Mr Benson-Pope. “Throughout
the country there are people putting this
commitment into action in their own backyards,
communities and workplaces, and we want
to hear about it.”
The annual Green Ribbon Awards publicly
recognise this exceptional contribution.
“It takes initiative, dedication and sheer
hard work to make environmental action happen.
We will be celebrating the very best of
these achievements,” says Mr Benson-Pope.
The categories for this year’s nominations
are:
Rural sustainability
Urban sustainability
Caring for our water
Sustainable business and household
Young people making a difference
Community action for the environment.
“Each year, the quality of nominations
continues to rise,” says Mr Benson-Pope.
“I’m looking forward to hearing about this
year’s inspiring environmental actions.”
Nominations close on 20 April. Winners
will be announced on World Environment Day
on Tuesday 5 June, followed by a presentation
ceremony on 6 June.
For an information sheet on the Green Ribbon
Awards 2007, including how to make a nomination,
visit www.mfe.govt.nz.
The Dairying and Clean Streams Accord:
Snapshot of Progress - 2005/2006
Executive Summary
Progress towards the Dairying and Cleans
Streams Accord’s five targets continues
to be steady in most areas.
The current levels of non-compliance with
resource consent conditions or regional
plan rules for dairy effluent management
is unacceptable. The national compliance
average is only 67 percent versus the 100
percent target set to be achieved immediately.
Incidences of significant non-compliance
with effluent management rules which have
the potential for environmental impacts
average about 10 percent across the 13 regions
where Fonterra farmers operate.
The targets of excluding dairy cattle from
streams, rivers and lakes, and the provision
of bridges or culverts over regular crossing
points, have already been met for 2007.
Good progress has been made in the adoption
of nutrient management budgets compared
to last season. However, a great deal of
work is still needed to meet the 2007 target.
In regions where councils have identified
regionally significant wetlands, the 2007
Accord target has been met.
The Accord partners have committed to an
extensive programme of work to improve compliance
with effluent management rules and to increase
the uptake of nutrient management systems
by farmers. Accord partners will also work
together to improve information on regionally
significant wetlands.
1 Introduction
The Dairying and Clean Streams Accord is
an agreement between the Ministers of Agriculture
and for the Environment, Fonterra Co-operative
Group, and regional councils. Signed in
May 2003, its aim is to achieve clean healthy
water, including streams, rivers, lakes,
groundwater and wetlands, in dairying areas.
The Accord sets out five targets for farmers
to meet. These are:
a) Dairy cattle to be excluded from 50
percent of streams, rivers and lakes by
2007, rising to 90 percent by 2012.
b) Fifty percent of regular crossing points
to have bridges or culverts by 2007, rising
to 90 percent by 2012.
c) One hundred percent of dairy farm effluent
discharges to comply with resource consents
and regional plans immediately.
d) One hundred percent of dairy farms to
have in place systems to manage nutrient
inputs and outputs by 2007.
e) Fifty percent of regionally significant
wetlands to be fenced by 2005, rising to
90 percent by 2007.
Progress is measured by:
the results of Fonterra’s 2005/2006 On-farm
Environmental and Animal Welfare Assessment
the results of an independent audit of Fonterra’s
On-farm Assessment
regional council monitoring of compliance
with regional plan and resource consent
requirements for dairy effluent disposal.
This Snapshot of Progress shows the progress
Fonterra farmers have made towards meeting
Accord targets during the 2005/2006 season.
It records a continuation of the significant
progress made towards the targets since
2003, but also highlights areas for concern
with regard to compliance with resource
consent and regional plan requirements.
2 Progress against the targets
Table 1: Progress towards Accord targets
Accord target 2003/2004 2004/2005 2005/2006
Dairy cattle are excluded from streams,
rivers and lakes (2007 target: cattle excluded
from 50 percent of Accord rivers) 67% (a)
72% 75%
Regular race crossing points have bridges
or culverts (2007 target 50 percent of regular
crossing points bridged or culverted) 92%
(b) 93% (b) 93% (b)
Farm dairy effluent is appropriately treated
and discharged n/a Average compliance level
of 67% nationally. (See map for more details)
Nutrients are managed to minimise losses
to ground and surface water (2007 target
100 percent of farms have nutrient management
plans) 17% 19% 33%
(a) This includes suppliers that had no
Accord-type waterways.
(b) Percentage of Accord–type crossings
(i.e. deeper than a red band gumboot (ankle
depth), wider than a stride (approx 1 metre)
and permanently flowing).
a. On-farm Assessments
Fonterra’s On-farm Environmental and Animal
Welfare Assessment 2005/2006 has again provided
data to measure progress against Accord
targets. The 99 percent participation rate
is consistent with previous years.
Wetlands
As in 2004/2005, the On-farm Assessment
did not ask farmers questions relating to
stock access to wetlands as some regional
councils have not yet identified regionally
significant wetlands. However, in the regions
where councils have identified regionally
significant wetlands, the 2007 Accord target
has been met. Regional councils are working
with farmers to protect wetlands in these
regions. As an increasing number of councils
identify regionally significant wetlands,
this topic will be included in future assessments.
Taranaki exception
Certain results from the On-farm Assessment
vary across different regions. In Taranaki,
information relating to waterways (exclusion
and crossing) is provided directly by the
Taranaki Regional Council through its farm
planning programme. This programme is stricter
than the Accord as it imposes riparian planting
requirements on those farmers with riparian
plans and covers a wider range of waterways.
Consequently, Taranaki farmers were not
asked questions relating to these issues
making overall national comparisons difficult.
Regional variations
Again, regional differences in the On-farm
Assessment results are noted. These variations
demonstrate the importance of Regional Action
Plans. These plans have been developed by
Fonterra and the respective Regional Councils
to allow each region to focus on targets
particularly relevant to that region and
to assist with implementing the Accord.
The On-farm Assessment is a useful tool
to monitor improvement and review where
additional regional resources and actions
are required.
b. Independent auditing
Fonterra again commissioned an independent
audit of On-farm Assessment results collected
during the 2005/2006 season.
Over 100 randomly-selected farms in the
Waikato, Manawatu and Southland regions
were visited by independent auditors during
March and April 2006. The audit involved
a farm inspection and detailed discussions
with each farmer to verify information provided
in the On-farm Assessment.
The provision of GIS aerial maps by each
Regional Council assisted the process, enabling
auditors to identify and measure lengths
of Accord-type waterways, stock crossings
and the position of effluent management
systems.
Due to the relatively small sample size,
direct comparisons with the On-farm Assessment
data are difficult. However, the sample
size is sufficient to identify any gaps
or inaccuracies in the information and to
determine where to focus attention in the
near future.
The audit provides transparency for the
On-farm Assessments and gives farmers an
important opportunity to discuss environmental
management options and methods on an individual
basis.
Audit findings
Overall, audit results were found to be
closely correlated to the On-farm Assessment.
Lack of knowledge was the main barrier
to implementing on-farm best practice. This
applied particularly to nutrient management
and the potential for effluent applied in
wet conditions to cause adverse environmental
effects.
Although the On-farm Assessment did not
collect data regarding effluent management,
the audit showed a preference to dispose
of effluent to land, particularly in Southland.
Many farmers also intend to improve or upgrade
their systems.
However, the biggest challenge identified
in all three regions was managing effluent
disposal to land in wet conditions. A lack
of sufficient effluent storage was a major
concern to the auditors.
Overall, fencing of waterways has increased
significantly in the past year and remains
a high priority for farmers. Importantly,
the audit confirmed an increase in stock
exclusion from waterways.
In relation to crossings, the On-farm Assessment
data was found to be accurate except in
the Manawatu, where the number of crossings
requiring a bridge or culvert was over-reported
in the On-farm Assessment. This could be
explained by a general misunderstanding
of what was a ‘regular’ crossing and an
‘Accord’ waterway. Auditors found that culverts
and bridges were generally installed across
all waterways regardless of whether they
qualified under Accord definitions.
The On-farm Assessment under reported the
nutrient budgeting that was being undertaken
in Waikato and Manawatu, but over reported
the levels of nutrient budgeting in Southland.
This demonstrates the different understanding
among farmers of what nutrient budgeting
involves.
Table 2: Audit results for 2005/2006 season
(2005/2006 On-farm Assessment data in brackets)
Region Percentage of Accord waterways with
no stock access Percentage of farms that
had completed a nutrient budget
Waikato 93% (89%) 40% (26%)
Manawatu 70% (89%) 40% (25%)
Southland 92% (93%) 40% (50%)
c. Compliance with regional plan and resource
consent requirements
The third Accord target is compliance with
resource consents and regional plan requirements
for dairy effluent discharges.
Compliance levels are again mixed, with
regions such as Taranaki (94 percent total
compliance) and Otago (98 percent total
compliance) returning better results than
the national average of 67 percent.
The map on the next page identifies the
percentage of farms in each region which
were visited by regional council compliance
officers and were compliant with all resource
consent conditions.
While these results are still far from
the 100 percent target, it is important
to distinguish between significant non-compliance
and minor or moderate non-compliance. The
former is generally defined by councils
as non-compliance which has or may have
an environmental effect, whereas minor or
moderate non-compliance relates to matters
such as failing to show a resource consent
on a dairy shed wall, or a short term technical
failure.
While the national average for compliance
overall is 67 percent, significant non-compliance
averages 10 percent on a national level.
Levels of non-compliance are more significant
in Northland, Waikato, Canterbury, and Southland.
There appears to be a range of factors which
have led to the failure to make significant
progress towards the 100 percent compliance
target. These include herd increases without
corresponding increases in effluent disposal
system capacity, insufficient contingency
capacity for systems in areas with high
rainfall, insufficient training, insufficient
monitoring and the insufficient use of available
sanctions against poor performers. In some
areas, more rigorous monitoring undertaken
during the year has identified non-compliance
issues which were not recorded in earlier
years.
Fonterra has worked alongside Dexcel and
Dairy Insight to update and market two extensive
manuals: ‘Managing Farm Dairy Effluent’;
and ‘Farm Management Issues’ with both released
in October. In addition, Fonterra and Dexcel
are running workshops for farmers and rural
professionals to promote understanding of
good dairy shed effluent disposal practice.
Fonterra notes that many farmers are seeking
new and better ideas about systems which
will both stand the test of time and meet
council/ community expectations.
There are clearly opportunities to improve
performance. This will be a particular focus
of the Accord partners over the coming year.
Councils and farmers working in partnership
to address compliance issues
The Tasman District provides an example
of the results of the regional council working
with farmers to improve compliance levels.
On an initial compliance visit during the
2005/2006 season, 33 farms were moderately
or significantly non-compliant with regional
plan and resource requirements for dairy
effluent disposal.
As a result of extensive follow-up work
between Tasman District Council and non-compliant
farmers, moderate and significant non-compliance
decreased to just 1.5 percent of all farms.
Work to achieve this goal has included writing
farm management plans, as well as using
tools available under the Resource Management
Act.
The success of the partnership approach
has been demonstrated in the Tasman region
which has achieved its best recorded compliance
rate. Work is underway to ensure that similar
results are recorded in all regions in future
dairying seasons.
Waikakahi stream, fenced off from cattle
3 Areas of focus in 2005/2006
The 2004/2005 Snapshot of Progress identified
several Accord targets and issues to work
on over the 2005/2006 season. We look at
these areas of focus, the progress which
has been made and plans for future improvement.
Nutrient Management
A key focus for 2005/2006 was improving
progress towards the nutrient management
target. This has resulted in a marked increase
in the number of farmers having a nutrient
budget. In March/April 2006, more than 2,000
people attended the nationwide nutrient
management roadshow. This is expected to
translate into an increased number of farmers
with a nutrient budget by the end of the
2006/2007 season.
Monitoring
Monitoring the environmental impacts of
the Accord began in the 2005/2006 dairying
season. The Ministry for the Environment
is collating data as part of the long-term
monitoring and reporting strategy, with
regional council environmental monitoring
staff collecting data in each region. A
baseline report from which progress can
be measured in future will be published
by the Ministry for the Environment in 2007.
Regional Action Plans
Regional councils and Fonterra have continued
to cooperate and focus on the implementation
of Regional Action Plans over 2005/2006.
An annual review of all regional plans was
carried out at the end of the 2005/2006
season.
Environmental initiatives which fall alongside
the Accord
Environmental initiatives which fall outside
of the Accord have also been successful
over the 2005/2006 season. These demonstrate
the dairy industry’s wider commitment to
sustainable environmental management.
In 2005/2006, 35 percent of Fonterra farmers
carried out riparian planting, an increase
of 17 percent from the previous season.
Many regional councils are also actively
supporting farmers with planting guides,
on-farm advice services and providing plants
at cost.
Seventy percent of Fonterra farms now have
natural shade and shelter plantings for
stock, which is slightly up on the 2004/2005
results. The number of farmers who have
fenced off native bush on their properties
has also increased significantly, from 26
percent in 2004/2005 to 44 percent for this
past season. Farmers are continuing to make
this voluntary effort, with many regional
councils providing funding to assist with
costs.
Interesting Accord facts and figures
The On-farm Assessment reveals some interesting
facts and figures about the New Zealand
dairy industry:
The total number of Fonterra farms has
decreased from 11,791 to 11,273. This trend
towards fewer, larger farms is consistent
across most regions, with the exception
of Hawke’s Bay, Canterbury and Southland,
where farm numbers increased slightly.
Nationally, 33 percent of Fonterra dairy
farms have a nutrient budget included in
their fertiliser programme, an increase
of 73 percent from 2004/2005 season. There
are four regions where 50 percent or more
of farmers have nutrient budgets (Southland,
Otago, Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay).
Southland has the highest number of farms
with Accord-type waterways, but continues
to have the highest percentage of stock
exclusion.
4 Looking to the future
Management Plan
For the 2006/2007 season, Fonterra farmers
with stock access to Accord waterways and/or
crossings which need a culvert or bridge
will have to complete the relevant section
of their environmental management plan.
This will require a written commitment by
those farmers to meet the Accord targets
within a certain timeframe, and an explanation
of how that will be achieved.
Nutrient Management
Nutrient management continues to be a key
focus for the dairy industry in 2006/2007.
The general lack of understanding of what
a nutrient budget is, and what it is for,
makes sharing information with farmers and
promoting correct nutrient management practices
a high priority.
Fonterra has been working with fertiliser
companies to communicate the benefits of
nutrient budgeting to farmers. An extensive
three-year programme of work to improve
nutrient management is under way, with the
strong support of Fonterra, Dexcel and the
fertiliser companies.
From the 2006/2007 season, assessors will
ask to see a farm’s nutrient budget. A re-visit
will be carried out in 2007/2008 if a budget
is not provided. As well as encouraging
the uptake of nutrient budgeting, this initiative
will further improve the data collected
during the On-farm Assessment.
Compliance Monitoring
Given the results of the previous seasons,
another key focus in 2006/2007 will be improving
compliance with resource consent and regional
plan requirements for dairy shed effluent
discharges. This will include a number of
activities:
standardising the definitions for “significant”,
“moderate” and “minor” non-compliance to
enable comparisons to be made across the
country. At present comparisons cannot be
made because of the differences in the way
councils collect data
identifying and implementing the best practice
compliance initiatives for councils to improve
farmer compliance
improving the technical information available
to farmers on issues such as effluent system
requirements to enable compliance requirements
to be met
Accord partners working more closely to
identify and work with the poorer performing
farmers.
Dairy Industry Strategy for Sustainable
Environmental Management
The Dairy Industry Strategy for Sustainable
Environmental Management was also released
in 2005/2006. This is a key development,
as it demonstrates the high importance placed
on sustainable environmental management
by the dairy industry. The wider dairy industry
is now committed to meeting Accord targets,
which have been included in the strategy.
Publish baseline information for environmental
monitoring
The Monitoring and Reporting Strategy for
the Accord was agreed upon in April 2006
and data collection has begun. Regional
council environmental monitoring staff are
collecting data in each region as a way
to measure the environmental impacts of
implementing Accord targets. A first report
on these impacts is due before the end of
2007. It will draw on data from four Dairying
Best Practice Catchments, eight new ‘tier
2’ catchments and specific case studies
on Accord actions, such as bridging steams.
A follow up report is due in 2012.
Ministry for the Environment
Thorndon Wellington
Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd
John Hutchings
Sustainable Production Manager
www.fonterra.com
Acknowledgments:
The Accord partners would like to thank
those Fonterra suppliers who voluntarily
took part in the 2005/2006 On-farm Environmental
and Animal Welfare Assessment.
