More action needed to protect our environment

Peter Scott Chair, Environment Canterbury

I’ve heard from some farmers and irrigators that they are concerned about the speed and scope of further changes at a time when they are already being asked to do more to manage on-farm practices like winter grazing, managing wetlands and stock exclusion from waterways.

Canterbury/Waitaha is in its current state largely as a legacy of past practices. Market forces have incentivised more intensive farming, and the Resource Management Act has permitted it. Decisions made in the past have got us to where we are now.

Legacy environmental issues take time to change, and intensive agriculture is already managed through our audited Farm Environment Plan process.

But this is not just a rural issue. While many focus on our rural communities and farming practices, the actions of our town and city-dwellers have also affected our environment. Regulation alone will not reverse everything that has happened, but we need to get the regulation right and do our best to improve things for future generations.

We all need to do more – and faster, to turn the tide of environmental degradation in some parts of our region, and protect our water, land, air and remaining biodiversity.

The changes we make today will have an impact in the future, and the more improvements we make, the faster we can see the results our environment and our community demands.

While these changes may seem onerous and unachievable, we need to reach – and in some areas, go well beyond – good management practices to reduce our effect on freshwater.

We are working in partnership with mana whenua on a Regional Policy Statement and targeted changes to the land and water regional plan to reflect the national legislative direction in the NPSFM 2020 that puts the needs of our environment and community first, applying the principles of Te Mana o te Wai.

We will be engaging with the community and catchment groups as we put together this important piece of work.

Support is available – our Farmers’ Hub is the best place to get clear information on what you need to do on your farm, or you can contact one of our land management advisors for a chat.

I’m sharing this as I want you to get involved and also be able to make informed decisions for yourselves, your businesses and your communities’ futures. Lastly, I’d like to acknowledge the changes already made and the hard work you’ve all done to improve our freshwater, but the fact is we just aren’t moving quickly enough.

If anyone would like to chat to me further then please email governance@ecan.govt.nz