IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023-24

SUMMER 2023–24

RAUMATI 2023–24 IRRIGATIONNZ 2023 AGM WRAP

PREPARING FOR EL NIÑO

CHALLENGES, CHANGE AND MEASURING SUCCESS

Education and broadening horizons Irrigation Study Tour to USA

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REGULAR FEATURES 4

FROM THE CHAIR /

Keri Johnston 5

FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE /

Vanessa Winning 6

OUT & ABOUT

17

VIEW FROM HERE /

James Stevenson-Wallace, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research 22

VIEW FROM THERE /

Jennie Schmidt, Maryland, USA 27

FMG / El Niño damage risks

34

TECHNICAL / Enabling

and empowering change 39

TECHNICAL / Dam safety

12

40 Seasonal climate outlook 42

32

Merry Christmas

FEATURES 7

NZ Certificate in Irrigation System Design graduates

10

IrrigationNZ Achievements and Membership 2022–2023

12

COVER STORY / USA Tour

23

Fraser Farm at Waitaki Boys’ High School

24

EL NIÑO / Being prepared

28

TE TAI TOKERAU WATER

23 30

TRUST / Northland water storage 30 BRYN THOMPSON /

Evapotranspiration Tool 32

RICHARD KYTE /

Thriving Southland 38

Grassroots Dairy Management Graduate Programme

28

EDITOR Ella Stokes / 027 208 6371 / estokes@irrigationnz.co.nz ADVERTISING, ADMIN & SUBSCRIPTIONS admin@irrigationnz.co.nz PUBLISHED BY Irrigation New Zealand / PO Box 8014, Wellington 6143 DESIGN Rosie Fenton DISTRIBUTION New Zealand Post PRINTING Caxton COVER PHOTO Keri Johnston

ISSN 2230-5181

Please email estokes@irrigationnz.co.nz if the delivery address/information where this magazine has been received is incorrect or needs updated.

IrrigationNZ News is published by Irrigation New Zealand Inc (IrrigationNZ) four times a year. The circulation includes all IrrigationNZ members. The opinions expressed in IrrigationNZ News do not necessarily reflect the views of IrrigationNZ. The information contained in this publication is general in nature with every effort being made to ensure its complete accuracy. No responsibility can be accepted for any errors or copy­right breach that may occur beyond the control of the editor or IrrigationNZ. Permission must be sought from the Editor prior to reproduction of any material contained in this publication.

www.irrigationnz.co.nz IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 3

FROM THE CHAIR

Keri Johnston Chair IrrigationNZ

Advocacy for the long game – working for generational improvements Kia ora koutou, The election has been and gone, and we know for certain that we have a new Government.

The changing of the guard will bring with it new challenges and new opportunities.

We are an organisation that works tirelessly to ensure that we have strong relationships with all political parties, regardless of who is in power, and we will continue to do this.

Our reason for this is that so much of what we advocate for can not be accomplished in a three-year political cycle. When we talk about water infrastructure, for example, we are talking about generational assets that benefit so many people, businesses, and communities beyond the farm gate, or the bounds of the asset. We need multi-partisan support on these matters so that they are taken off the political football field that becomes the

4 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

election playground.

We hosted our AGM at the end of November and there was a great turnout.

As well as hosting the formalities of the AGM, we celebrated the students who graduated with the Certificate in Irrigation System Design during 2022 and 2023. We farewelled Andrew Barton and Andrew Rodwell from the board. The Andrews came onto the board at a critical time for IrrigationNZ (post‑COVID!) and brought level, experienced heads to the table. Both have been valuable members of the board, and I cannot thank them enough for their time with us.

We welcomed Andrew Mockford and Mark Saunders as new members of our board. Read their introductory profiles on page nine.

In this edition of the magazine you will

see a write-up on the recent Trailblazer Sustain­able Irrigation Study Tour to the USA. This was a huge success, and a massive thank you to Sarah Elliot of Lindsay Irrigation – my tour co-host – for helping bring it all together. A big shout-out also goes to Water Strategies LLC, our friends in the USA. Dillon, Nick, and Kris, you guys rock!

There will also be a write-up on the tour in the Irrigation Leader NZ Edition, so make sure to check that out.

With Christmas fast approaching, I would like to thank you, our members, stake­holders, and partners for your support of IrrigationNZ. We love working with you all and cannot wait to see what is in store for 2024.

Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou, Keri

FROM THE CE

Vanessa Winning Chief Executive IrrigationNZ

Celebrating success and looking forward to challenges It is incredible that summer weather is here already. I write this as we bask in a warm and sunny day in Wellington while we quickly establish new relationships and build trust with the coalition government.

There seems to be an air of nervousness and excitement, probably in equal measure, and for us this means change. We are lucky (though I believe we have made that luck) that we work well with all parties and across the political spectrum. Just this week I was told by a senior government official that we are well-regarded and trusted across the departments we work with. That makes me very proud of the work our team does for our membership. Being trusted and well-regarded means that when things don’t go as planned, we can respectfully have a voice and be listened to. We may not always get what we want but we do get an open conversation.

Often, as you will see in our advocacy section and from our AGM highlights, we get many concessions and are able to work on practical outcomes and provide guidance as to how implementation could work.

In the next three years we will see some change in direction, but we are not expecting drastic wholesale changes. We will continue to do the best we can on our farms and orchards and continue our work towards smarter irrigation management and more efficient water use. We are expecting that we will get more support for storage and capture projects and we are hopeful we will see progress on the Water Security and Availability programme that has been signalled by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) but not yet planned or started.

The Resource Management Act and water will be in the spotlight again, and we have briefed the incoming ministers which included a 100-day plan that we will advocate for. The reception by ministers to date has been very promising.

Training and development of our skills in designing and managing irrigation systems will continue to develop and grow, building on the momentum we have had to date. What we are also very keen to see is more cross-party agreement on resource management, infrastructure development, and climate adaptation work. We need to see clear pathways for our membership that won’t change every three years. A plan needs to build over successive Governments in order for us to be prepared for a future in which we need to be more resilient and water as an enabler will become more important.

We are expecting a more extreme summer, with some suggesting hotter and drier conditions. For many North Islanders this will be good news, considering the disastrous weather last summer. For some it will require being very strategic about your water application. Those that can should consider on-farm storage, especially under the proposed permitted activity presented during the election. It may not be possible for this summer, but resilience planning is a long-term play. Water storage could be the insurance you need for the more extreme seasons predicted for the coming 18 months.

We will be keeping a watchful eye, and our communications will support you. Keep abreast of the local/regional forecasts and impacts, and plan for what you can ahead of time.

As this is our summer edition, I wish you all a happy holiday season, and remind you of the importance of taking stock, enjoying family time, and taking some off-farm opportunities. It’s been a tough few years with lots of uncertainty, cost increases, and large geopolitical strain. We are lucky to live in this beautiful country of ours and it’s important that our farmers and growers also get to enjoy it safely – so please put that in your summer plan alongside your water needs.

This magazine is a brilliant publication, so do check out what we have been working on on your behalf, and thank you once again for your support.

IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 5

IrrigationNZ: Out & About

Young Horticulturist Competition

CropX Conference Vanessa Winning attended the CropX Conference on the Gold Coast in mid-September. A strong New Zealand contingent attended and learnt about water resilience, recycled irrigation, and the need for planning in a typically dry climate. The event was a great reminder of how New Zealand could be more strategic with water resources. Farmers and growers from across the country were represented, including producers of potatoes, dairy, avocados, and more.

Held every November, the Young Horticulturist Competition is a grand final that brings together the best young talent in New Zealand horticulture. The finalists are drawn from sector (e.g. Master Landscapers, NZ Plant Producers) competitions and compete in a range of challenges that test various qualities, including practical skills, industry expertise, leadership ability, business knowledge, and communication.

Vanessa Winning was the judge of the leadership task at the Auckland event, which was held at Karaka NZ Bloodstock Grounds. She is pictured here with fellow judge Lex Dillon (retired Tomatoes NZ board member and grower).

It was great to share a table with our colleagues from Irrigation Australia with whom we are working to develop training programmes. Pictured is Vanessa with Geoff Harvey, National Training, Certification and Marketing Manager for Irrigation Australia.

New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management (NZIPIM) Meeting Stephen helped organise a meeting run by NZIPIM in the Wairarapa. Professor Jarrod Haar from Massey University presented his findings on the concerningly high incidence of farmer and rural professional burnout, and highlighted some of the signs to spot the onset.

6 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

Gill Murray, farmer and Ministry of Education educational psychologist, then facilitated a very useful session on some practical tools for developing personal resilience in a farming context. This resilience can be thought of as the ability of people to be prepared for extreme and unexpected events, and to recover from such events.

Nurturing future stewards – celebrating graduates of the New Zealand Certificate in Irrigation System Design In the latter part of 2023, we marked a sig­nifi­cant moment – the graduation of the latest cohort from the New Zealand Certificate in Irrigation System Design. Over the past two years, 21 learners from across the country have successfully completed this rigorous qualifi­ cation, setting the stage for their roles as the irrigation designers of the future.

The recent IrrigationNZ AGM hosted a dedicated graduation cere­mony, where five students and their managers joined approxi­ mately 80 attendees to celebrate these achieve­ments. This event not only recognised their accomplishments but under­scored the graduates' pivotal role in the evolving landscape of irrigation design in New Zealand.

The New Zealand Certificate in Irrigation System Design, an NZQA-recognised Level 5 qualification, requires commitment and dedication to complete. It encompasses approximately 1,000 learning hours over 16 months, including nine classroom days and four

assessments, which attest to the comprehensive nature of the course.

For recent graduates, this achievement signifies more than acquiring knowledge; it symbolises their commitment to mastering the intricacies of irrigation system design. As designers of the future, they have the skills to manage and optimise water resources across a multitude of spaces, including agriculture, horticulture, residential and commercial design, and the sports turf industry, all contributing to a more sustain­ able and resilient New Zealand.

The future of irrigation design in New Zealand is in capable hands, as these graduates guide it toward greater efficiency, sustainability, and innovation.

Are you interested in attending the next intake? Registration is now open for the 2024 New Zealand Certificate in Irrigation System Design which starts in March 2024. Visit www.irrigationnz.co.nz/ EventsAndTraining/Irrigators/CID for more details.

FMG ceremony sponsor representative, Philip Grose, with graduates of the Certificate in Irrigation System Design. From left: Philip Grose (FMG), Rose Edkins (Aqualinc), Tom Duncan (Rainer), Scott Simister (Rainer), Jack Taylor (Resolve Water), and Jacob Freeman (Resolve Water).

IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 7

INZ AGM WRAP

IrrigationNZ AGM 2023 We had a great turnout for our Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Ashburton in late November. We extend our gratitude to those that attended and to the many others who continue to support and participate in IrrigationNZ as an organisation.

Aside from the general business the AGM brings, there was a lot to discuss regard­ing the introduction of the new Government, and the many changes on the horizon. Anderson Lloyd kindly sponsored the event. Anderson Lloyd partner Sarah Eveleigh, who is a resource management and environmental lawyer, rounded out the evening with a great speech highlighting what is in store for 2024.

We took the opportunity to celebrate some of the graduates of the Irrigation System Design course. This part of the evening was kindly sponsored by FMG. The AGM marked the welcoming of two new members to the IrrigationNZ Board. The Board is made up of six members from varying backgrounds that are linked with irrigation and freshwater management. This year we had great interest in the two available roles, receiving five nominations, and a huge 73 percent of votes were cast. The voting also included some constitution changes.

Andrew Mockford and Mark Saunders were voted into the roles. They have each written a profile of themselves by way of introduction.

8 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

Sarah Eveleigh of Anderson Lloyd speaking at the 2023 AGM.

Keri Johnston, IrrigationNZ Chair.

ANDREW MOCKFORD I am excited for the opportunity to be on the IrrigationNZ board. My belief that IrrigationNZ is well-positioned for future success adds motivation to my interest in the role, for which I believe I have the relevant experience and the capability to take on.

As I look to the future, there are numerous challenges that our industry faces and IrrigationNZ will play a pivotal role in overcoming those challenges.

There are two challenges that stand out to me: • enabling strategic water storage opportunities, and • our communication/perception challenge, where our goal should be to ensure everyday New Zealanders appreciate the integral enabler that water is in our food and fibre industry.

Water is a precious resource to all New Zealanders, and our agriculture and horti­ culture sectors rely on it; just as the supporting industries and communities rely on these sectors. To ensure a sustainable future, we need to promote and imple­ment strategic water storage opportunities. These opportunities will help us navi­gate through periods of scarcity, ensuring a stable water supply. This reliability and certainty will, in turn, enable further positive outcomes.

The way in which irrigation is collectively perceived and reported upon needs to change.

I suspect if you are reading this profile, you will not need to be told about the vast benefits of irrigation; it is not you that this change is focused on. Irrigation as a collective industry needs many more champions beyond

its immediate domain to recognise it as a vital tool for ensuring food security, supporting our export-driven economy, and minimising environmental impacts. I see IrrigationNZ playing a key role in this change.

I presently work for Rangitata Diversion Race Management Ltd (RDRML) as Operations Manager. Prior to that, I was the CEO of Opuha Water Ltd (five and a half years) and had come from a role as the Southern Regional Production Lead with Trustpower, managing their Otago and Canterbury Hydro Assets (three years). I have a passion for these large-scale water assets and the multiple positive benefits they create. In these roles, I have had numerous opportunities to be involved with the regulatory aspects that both constrain and enable these activities.

The regulatory environment has been one of signifi­cant change and the advocacy work that IrrigationNZ is doing in this space is impressive, well-targeted, and great to see.

I believe I bring good strategic and systems thinking to the table, which I will use to continue the good work already under­way at IrrigationNZ. I have sound commercial acumen and I am a member of the Institute of Directors. I completed their five-day Company Directors’ Course in August 2022. This benchmark course confirmed my interest/passion in governance as well as provid­ing relevant skills and knowledge in my learning journey.

I am committed to leading with integrity, transparency, and accountability. I wish to be part of the activities and decisions of IrrigationNZ that will support the vision for a sustainable and prosperous future for all.

MARK SAUNDERS My wife Pennie and I have been farming in Ashburton, Mid-Canterbury since 2004. Our 790-hectare farm has both spray and pivot irrigation which we utilise to grow pasture and winter crops. We are MHV Water share­ holders and also access groundwater. We have three sons – Hugh (18), William (16), and Luke (14) who enjoy farming, rugby games, and hunting/fishing.

My passion for the rural sector has led me to be in varying governance roles and I am currently on the Board of Waihi School. I have experience as a Director of MHV Water and Valetta irrigation co-ops, and Hekeao Hinds Water Enhancement Trust (HHWET) managed aquifer recharge.

I am enthusiastic about the rural voice, water as a precious resource, and the benefits of using it well in agriculture. I bring a blend of on-farm awareness and at-the-board table experience. I enjoy working and interacting with others in the community and playing a part in securing the future of irrigation.

I am passionate about our purpose and our ability to educate and influence policy by keeping the central govern­ment aware of the great gains and resilience irrigation brings to horticulture and agriculture across New Zealand. There come challenges and opportunities with change in the sector with costs increasing, including intensive farming being the most reliable form of funding year in and year out, coupled with reducing its environmental footprint.

IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 9

2022 / 2023

IrrigationNZ Achievements

400+

55

10

NZQA QUALIFICATION TRAINING

Number of attendees:

20 Online water meter verification training 47 Water meter workbooks completed 140 Technical and policy webinars 62 Fish Screen Project 24 FMG Risk Advice training days 32 Various training and info sessions

MEDIA & PUBLISHING 30+ Columns contributed in external publications 15+ Radio interviews

4

CERTIFICATE III IN IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY

OTHER TRAINING

E-LEARNING

50 IrrigationNZ members completed online e-learning

people attended the

– a nationally recognised programme of training in Australia. This was the first year IrrigationNZ teamed up with Irrigation Australia to deliver the Certificate III in Irrigation Technology in New Zealand

10 people completed the NZ Certificate in Irrigation System Design 45 people completed the NZ Certificate in Irrigation System Performance Assessment

50

COMPLETED TRAINING

SUBMISSIONS IrrigationNZ News magazines

3000+

WITH DISTRIBUTION PER ISSUE

15 Submissions we made on policy and legislative matters – ensuring our members’ voices are heard.

36 Attendees at IrrigationNZ hosted submission meetings *Calendar year July 2022 – June 2023.

10 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

2022 / 2023

IrrigationNZ Membership MEMBERSHIP BY CATEGORY Government Research Institution Retirees Irrigators and Schemes* Service Industry * Schemes counted as being a single member therefore this number does not represent the total number of irrigators represented by IrrigationNZ.

4500+ 43% members

Our members represent of the total irrigated land in NZ

Based on estimate of 423,000 ha of total of 903,465 ha

FEES PAID BY MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY Government Research Institution Retirees Irrigators and Schemes Service Industry

TOTAL FEES PAID

$724,944.64 IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 11

COVER STORY

Irrigation Study Tour USA – education and broadening horizons

12 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

Continuing education about freshwater management and irrigation, as well as remaining up-to-date with technologies and techniques abroad is important for the irrigation sector in New Zealand. Recently a group of 17 people went on the Trailblazer Irrigation Study Tour – the tour builds on the Trailblazer Sustainable Irrigation Awards programme and was put together by Water Strategies LLC, IrrigationNZ, and Lindsay Irrigation. The tour group was made up of farmers from New Zealand and Australia, lobbyists from the USA, and a rural investor originally from Brazil, now based in the USA. IrrigationNZ Chair Keri Johnston went on the tour, and we caught up with her to hear about how IrrigationNZ supported the tour by helping with organising. All attendees were self-funded.

Our group of 17 met in Omaha, Nebraska. The diversity of the group absolutely made the tour. We learnt just as much from each other as we did from those we visited. Education is so important; more than only education on how to irrigate. One of our strategic priorities is to LEAD, and in doing this we add value to our membership, encourage innovation, and continually look for ways to improve our performance. Broadening our horizons is one of the best ways we can strengthen leadership – it exposes our members to so much insight, innovation, and diversity of thought. We make strong connections, both at home and abroad, and the conversations that we start are the foundation for INFLUENCE and EMPOWERMENT. I hope that IrrigationNZ continues on a journey of supported education, as the value is immense.

DAY ONE – OMAHA AND LINCOLN, NEBRASKA On the first day we visited Lindsay Irriga­tion Headquarters. It was cool to see the invest­ment being made in the research and development of irrigation technology, especially regarding irrigation scheduling.

The next stop was the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute.

Here we received presentations on research being under­taken on fertiliser scheduling using new technologies, as well as an overview of water governance in the state of Nebraska.

This set us up nicely for the final stop of the day, which was the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts. Here we saw first­hand how water was managed in the state, and what they were doing from a regulatory perspective to manage water quality. There are parts of the state where nitrate in groundwater is more than 100 mg/L (their drinking water standard is 10 mg/L). It was great to hear about their ground up approach to water management, rather than top down as we have here in New Zealand. They recognise the value of irrigated agriculture to the state from an economic perspective, and what this brought to local communities. Therefore, while they addressed the environmental challenges that they had, the importance of irrigated agriculture was always front and centre.

We were hosted by Zipline Beer Hall after that, which was a nice way to wind down and try a few brews.

DAY TWO – HUSKER HARVEST DAYS, GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA Day two saw us attend the world’s largest irrigation field days in Grand Island. The scale of everything was mind blowing! That evening, we attended a dinner hosted by Lindsay Irrigation celebrating Nebraska beef. There were over 120 people in attendance, ranging from local farmers and growers to state secretaries and other dignitaries. It was an awesome night!

IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 13

Pictured from left: Dillin Keuhn (Water Strategies LLC), Nick Swenson (Water Strategies LLC), Amanda Shultz (Water Strategies LLC), Simon Burgess (farmer, Australia), Karl McDiarmid (farmer, NZ), Jaco Pauer (farmer, Australia), Paul Upton (irrigation designer, Australia), Sarah Elliot (Lindsay Irrigation, NZ), Keri Johnston (IrrigationNZ), Mark Saunders (farmer, NZ), Doug Dolan (farmer, NZ), Rowena McDiarmid (farmer, NZ), sitting on fence – Ben Johnson (farmer, NZ), Brendan Watson (farmer, Australia), Will Wright (environmental advisor, NZ), Ted Rollinson (farmer, NZ).

14 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

DAY THREE – PASCO, WASHINGTON After spending the morning travelling to Pasco, the group visited an 85-centre pivot farm. The farm takes water from the Snake River (a tributary of the Columbia River) and water is pumped up 200 metres, before being boosted again to get to the farm. The scale of the operation was eye-opening when considering the size of the infrastructure for one farm, and what it alone was producing. The evening activity was a visit to Pepper Bridge Winery, where their wine is produced entirely using gravity, and they are sustainably irrigated.

DAY FOUR – WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON Our fourth day started with a visit to Nelson Irrigation. This was a highlight for me. I consider sprinklers a highly underrated piece of irrigation equipment, and seeing not only the high-tech production of their products, but the type of quality control and testing that goes on was completely fascinating. I think that in New Zealand the sprinkler is the most misunderstood piece of an irrigation system – droplet size, spray pattern, and throw should all be included in any irrigation design and be specific to what you are trying to grow. In the afternoon we attended the Pendleton Round Up – Tough Enough to Wear Pink Rodeo. This was an interesting experience and so much fun.

DAY FIVE – HERMISTON, OREGON On day five we were hosted by Fred Ziari of IRZ Consulting Ltd. Fred is the man behind innovative water delivery solutions in the greater Hermiston area. We spent the day touring the region with Fred. Oregon has a policy of value-add agriculture, and this was evident in the processing that occurs; eg French fries, Subway red onions, and the newest crop – Amazon cloud storage facilities. These require water for cooling, and the water is then recycled for agriculture. This day really put into perspective just how small New Zealand is on the world scale, and how comparatively small our level of production really is. In the evening, we were hosted by Water Strategies LLC, and it was a wonderful way to finish the tour.

Following the trip I received a kind letter from Simon Burgess, a farmer from Australia. He thanked Sarah Elliot and I for the time and effort taken in organising the study tour, which covered “a diverse agenda with the right blend of academic, governance, farming, and fun”. Simon expressed that the insight and knowledge he gained from the trip inspired him, and left him in no doubt that “coupled with New Zealand and Australian innovation, the business that we are all involved in will not only grow and prosper but also meet and overcome any challenge we will face in the future”.

Dear Keri, Thank you so much for putting together our recent study tour. It was an absolute pleasure to get to meet you and I really do appreciate the time and effort you and Sarah put into creating such a diverse agenda with the right blend of academic, governance, farming and fun. It was a great group of people all of which I would like to think of now as lifelong friends, you both did a great job of “herding the cats” (or should that be singular – cat – referring to me?)

The insight and knowledge I have gained of American agriculture, agricultural research and agricultural manufacturing has truly been a once in a lifetime experience and the scale, professionalism, attention to detail and passion in the industry is truly inspiring, and leaves me in no doubt that coupled with New Zealand and Australian innovation the business that we are all involved in will not only grow and prosper but also meet and overcome any challenge we will face in the future.

If you are ever looking to visit Australia, please let me know as I would love to have the opportunity to repay your hospitality, thank you again and wishing you all the best for the forthcoming season.

Regards, Simon Burgess IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 15

16 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

VIEW FROM HERE

James Stevenson-Wallace CEO Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research

Satisfying to reflect on scienceindustry-farmer collaboration but, more is still needed James took the helm of the Crown Research Institute for our land, environment, and biodiversity just over 12 months ago. He heads a nationwide research team focused on lifting Aotearoa New Zealand’s productivity and biodiversity outcomes through science and research on our land and environment.

As the weather warms up, I remind myself if I wasn’t at work I would be gardening.

My husband, Jo, and I are trying to return a three-hectare slice of Te Ore Ore, alongside the Ruamahanga River in Wairarapa, back to native garden. It was a well-worked farming block and we want to restore the area’s bio­ diversity and mana.

In 2019, the Auditor-General flagged the lack of information available about fresh­water at a national level. Environment Aotearoa 2019, the state of the environment report prepared under the Environmental Reporting Act, echoed this. The report says, for instance, that while water quality is degraded in pastoral and urban areas, at the national level there is a lack of information needed to identify “exactly where, when, and what specific activities and management practices … have contributed to (or miti­ gated) water pollution” at the local levels.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has recommended that the Secretary for the Environment and the Government Statistician work with other relevant agencies to assess the underlying causes of the gaps in data and information, identify potential solutions, and make the results publicly available.

These gaps in data and information make it difficult for decision-makers to prepare a national approach or any long-term strategy

regarding what is an essential part of our Kiwi application of the technology in irrigation. identity – our freshwater. But the quality of Drones are an excellent example of tech­ water in our groundwater, lakes, rivers, and nology. We realised it wouldn’t be long before streams is important to us. We want it welldrones would be commonplace and farmers managed for future generations. would be using them. Drones can measure a Inevitably, it’s how we manage the land range of indicators, including canopy cover that will be a significant determinant on and temperature, that are relevant to how how successful we are at improving water much water the crop needs. quality. Our land management is also crucial Flying drones over your farm and making to our economy. After all, $51 billion of temperature maps across the fields, even to New Zealand’s GDP depends on the pro­ the point of recording temperatures at fiveductive capacity of the top 15 centi­metres of minute intervals, means you can convert the our soil. map to hourly crop water use, which in turn To improve water use efficiency and could be used to drive your irrigation system environmental outcomes (such as reducing to provide the right amount of water across leach­ing), farmers need better irrigation individual fields. scheduling tools, in association with good soil knowledge and management under the Inevitably, it’s how we irrigator footprint. For example, manage the land that will be a recent irrigation research led by significant determinant on how Manaaki Whenua was aimed at improving irrigation use successful we are at improving for precision agriculture on water quality. Our land cropping farms. We looked management is also crucial to at improving water usage on our economy. After all, $51 billion variable soil types under an irrigator, what sort of tech­ of New Zealand’s GDP depends nology could be developed, on the productive capacity of the what might be available in the top 15 centimetres of our soil. future, and what science we can do now to help enable the

IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 17

Recent years have seen rapid advance­ ment in irrigator technology, which has enabled flexi­bility in irrigation control down to the individual nozzle. One of the ongoing challenges is linking up various sensors and data sources, which would create opportunities to efficiently enable real-time irrigator response.

Our previous research provided the science that now underpins practices such as variable rate application of irrigation water. When coupled with good management practices, the use of management zones reflecting spatial variability of soils can help reduce

farm inputs, improve nutrient use, and help minimise nutrient losses from farms.

We have supported the development of a range of sensor technologies, such as mesh networks of low-power-need soil moisture monitoring sensors, and high resolution mapping of soil variability. These have all been collaborative initiatives across science (e.g. Plant and Food Research) and industry bodies such as IrrigationNZ and the Foundation for Arable Research. Farmers have generously supported us by allowing on-farm testing development, as well as providing their invaluable practical smarts and

wisdom. Throughout, the irrigation industry has worked closely with us, picking up the science learnings and advancing these into commercial systems.

From my position near the river, it’s very satisfying to reflect on this most impor­tant ongoing science-industry-farmer collabora­ tion. It has been shown that when irrigation systems are well designed and managed, they reduce pollutant contamination into fresh­water, while not compromising farm productivity.

However, better understanding is still needed of how these pollutants flow through catch­ments, which will allow a better under­ standing of the effect of past and current land-use practices on current fresh­water quality trends.

Manaaki Whenua’s S-map initiative was started in 2004 to create a coherent centralised soil resource programme for New Zealand that would not only characterise and map our soils but also store this invaluable inter­generational know­ledge in a modern, and publicly avail­ able, digital informat­ion system.

Map generated by S-map Online, Aotearoa New Zealand’s digital soil map resource – smap.landcareresearch.co.nz This map layer shows soil drainage – darker blue areas indicate poorly drained soils, and lighter brown areas are well‑drained.

18 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

This resource has expanded over the years to now cover 68 percent of New Zealand’s multiple-use land, which is over 4.5 million hectares. For all land types in New Zealand, S-map now covers over 10 million hectares.

This is valuable data which enables farm­ers to gauge nutrient losses and irriga­ tion require­ments. Our work has filled important knowledge gaps on the soil hydrology of New Zealand’s highly diverse soils. In Canterbury we have completed, in collaboration with the irrigation industry and a large number of farmers, a comprehensive study into the water storage capacity of stony and non-stony soils, and how soil’s physical attributes change under irrigation.

Our advances in S-map data have led to its extensive adoption in farm environment planning, monitoring, and reporting.

S-map geo­spatial data is supplied directly to an expanding list of clients including fertiliser companies, dairy companies, most regional councils, and banks. S-map data is a critical input in the Overseer nutrient budget tool. In the last year over 50,000

soil factsheets were downloaded from the popular S-map Online website.

Being able to predict soil water-holding capacity quickly and cost-effectively is some­ thing our researchers are working towards.

We’ve been able to show soil spectroscopy – infrared electromagnetic radiation to measure how much energy the soil surface reflects at specific wavelengths and provide a spectral signature – has been a significant breakthrough for rapid analysis of soil.

In one of our research projects, proximal sensor survey data was used to map soil variability and statistically derive manage­ment zones, which were then correlated with S-map soil moisture release curves. Soil moisture monitoring of these management zones showed that the poorly drained soil had wetter conditions than the other zones, which is likely to have been a factor contrib­uting to reduced crop yield. Less irrigation could there­fore have been applied to the poorly drained soil, saving irrigation costs and improving yield.

Our work provides an understanding of soils, the capability to manage the effects

Pivotal.

of land use, and the confidence to deploy mitigation approaches, including the role of precision agriculture for improved nutrient management on farms. For instance, research field trials have shown soil water storage properties can change during a cropping season. As cultivated soil compacts, being able to monitor soil and crop moisture helps farmers adapt irrigation controls if needed.

All these tools allow farmers to accurately predict the optimal irrigation rate to both avoid plant stress and minimise losses while complying with environmental limits, all at the paddock, or sub-paddock level. Whilst our joint work is not finished, it’s achievements like this that are likely to result in clean water, and healthy land around rivers.

This includes the Ruamahanga, meaning it won’t be long before our own wetland garden comes back to life.

Anderson Lloyd is the trusted legal advisor for major players in New Zealand’s irrigation sector, with a proven ability to deliver results.

We have advised on numerous existing and proposed schemes in the North and South Islands and act for individual farmers and agribusinesses.

Our specialist team advises on all aspects associated with large-scale irrigation schemes including banking, capital raising, commercial contract, resource management and construction matters.

David Goodman, Partner

Sarah Eveleigh, Partner

p: 03 335 1235 m: 027 787 8785 david.goodman@al.nz

p: 03 335 1217 m: 027 204 1479 sarah.eveleigh@al.nz

IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 19

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Capitol Hill Office 4 E Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 21

VIEW FROM THERE

Irrigation as a risk management tool and conservation farming Jennie Schmidt is part of Schmidt Farms Inc. in Sudlersville, Maryland, USA. Together with her brother-in-law, she manages a fourth-generation family farm growing grains, vegetables, and wine grapes on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. When she’s not on a tractor, Jennie is a state and national agriculture leader, having served as the first female board member and first female president of the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board. Jennie is the Maryland delegate to the U.S. Grains Council and chaired the Middle East/Africa/ South Asia trade advisory team. She is a national and international speaker telling the story of food and farming. She is passionate about connecting people with food and farming, emphasising the importance of global food access and the importance of sustainability in our food supply. Jennie, whose first career was as a registered dietitian, holds a BS in Human Nutrition and International Agriculture from UMASS and an MS degree from the University of Delaware in Human Nutrition, with a focus on Food and Agricultural Biotechnology.

Our area of the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States averages 45 inches or 1145 mm annually. Despite this, we still depend on irrigation as a risk management tool to supply timely watering to crops. Of the 800 hectares we farm, 283 of them are irrigated. When we first started installing centre pivot irrigation 25 years ago, it was because we were transitioning from a livestock operation to pursuing vegetable contracts to our crop diversification, which can only be secured with the ability to guarantee water to the vegetable acres. Since then, we have used irrigation as a risk management tool to guarantee corn, wheat, or soybean crops during seasons of drought that would otherwise negatively impact yield. This year, after 20 years of grape growing without requiring irrigation, we added 2.5 hectares of drip irrigation to the vineyard in order to safeguard the life of certain varietals that were showing drought and heat index stress.

Schmidt Farms is known for its conservation practices, dating back to the 1960s when my father-in-law, Walter, was featured in Farm Journal magazine demonstrating no-till planting and cover crop seeding into standing corn. Today Schmidt

Farms Inc. is Certified in Agricultural Stewardship through our county soil conservation district, has a fully implemented soil and water quality plan, uses precision agriculture to conserve resources, and follows a professional nutrient management plan to maximize plant health while protecting the environment and our natural resources.

The economic benefit of conservation farming through no or reduced tillage reduces diesel use, saves labor costs, and alleviates compaction by reducing the number of passes heavy machinery drives across the fields. In addition, because our region of the Mid-Atlantic is a coastal plain, conservation farming through no-till and cover crops helps improve soil tilth, adding organic matter and increasing the cation exchange capacity of the soil to better retain nutrients. It is an important part of soil health and sustainability. In addition, conservation farming is an important component in improving the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay, the United States’ largest estuary. With urbanisation and development, Maryland has lost over 6 million acres of farmland since the 1960s.

Along with outdated sewage treatment infrastructure, impervious surface water runoff, and nonpoint source nutrient loss from legacy farming practices no longer used such as moldboard plowing, the Chesapeake Bay water has been impaired.

While nutrient management is regulated in the state of Maryland, conservation farming has been at the forefront of progress made in water quality improvements in the Bay. Conservation farming makes both economic sense for the farmer and environmental sense for the larger community.

Jennie Schmidt (centre) with her husband Hans Schmidt (left) and her brother in law Alan Schmidt.

22 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

Get ready for new dam safety rules It’s time to start thinking about the new dam safety regulations that come into force next year.

On 13 May 2024, the Building (Dam Safety) Regulations 2022 will apply, providing a nationally consistent approach to dam safety and ensuring dams and water storage areas are well-operated, maintained and monitored. They’re designed to reduce the impact on people, property or the environment from incidents that could cause a dam to fail.

Until now, Aotearoa New Zealand has not had a consistent, regulatory dam safety framework – unlike almost every other country in the OECD. If you’ve got a dam, irrigation pond, effluent storage or any other infrastructure that collects water on your land, you’ll need to take a look at the new regulations and work out if they apply to you.

Other fluid might include stock effluent or waste from industrial activity. Also, many storage ponds may now be classified as a dam under the new regulations.

If your dam is captured by the new regulations, you’ll need to get a recognised dam safety engineer to submit a Potential Impact Assessment (PIC) within three months of the new regulations coming into force.

The PIC will rate your dam as being of low, medium or high impact. Depending on the rating, you may need to submit a Dam Safety Assurance Programme (DSAP).

Based on your PIC rating, you’ll have either 12 months or two years to do this.

You can get familiar with what you need to do next year by visiting MBIE’s Building Performance website building.govt.nz/dam-safety. There you will find useful resources, including a guide for calculating the volume of a dam to see if it’s impacted by the regulations.

The new regulations apply to dams that are: •

four or more metres in height and store 20,000 or more cubic metres volume of water, or other fluid; or

Canterbury farmers and landowners with questions or concerns can email Environment Canterbury at

•

one or more metres in height and store 40,000 or more cubic metres volume of water, or other fluid.

damsafety@ecan.govt.nz

Preparing for a hot, dry Canterbury summer After a few years of easterly winds and relatively wet summers, it’s time to gear up for a return to frequent nor’westers and a hot, dry season.

Chances are, we’re in for a scorcher in Canterbury this summer. Sea surface temperatures are high, and according to NIWA, current El Niño conditions are likely to intensify in the next couple of months. Long dry spells are expected for the Canterbury plains.

What El Niño could bring This summer, temperatures are most likely to be above average, with frequent westerly and nor’west winds, which may be stronger than usual. Rainfall is most likely to be average or below average.

River flows in lowland and spring-fed rivers and streams are likely to be lower than the summer median, so if your irrigation water is sourced from surface or groundwater related to one of these, this could mean water restrictions are in place more frequently.

Because nor’westers often bring rainfall to the main divide, they may coincide with high river flows in the large alpine rivers, with large variability in river flow possible.

And as you’ll be aware, those hot dry winds bring extreme fire risk. If you’re in a fire-prone area, make sure you have a plan for keeping yourself, your family and staff, and your stock safe in case of a blaze. Keep up to date with your local fire restrictions.

Know your soil moisture before irrigating

Check your irrigator is programmed correctly, especially after it has lost power. Programmes could have reset and may not cover paddocks accurately after a power cut.

When it’s blowing, you need to account for wind drift. In a strong nor’wester, make sure your irrigator’s end gun range stops well short of the eastern edge of the paddock you want to irrigate, especially if it’s near your property boundary or a road. Spray on roads can be dangerous for vehicles and degrade the road surface, making it more likely that potholes will form.

Looking ahead to 2024 According to NIWA, there’s an 80 percent chance of El Niño continuing through autumn, maintaining an important influence on the Canterbury climate.

If dry conditions persist, you’ll need to ensure you have enough feed and water to get your stock through to winter.

Help in dry times •

Beef + Lamb, Dairy NZ and Deer NZ all have resources and advice on feed and stock water for livestock on their websites – just search your industry partner’s name and the word ‘drought’.

•

Remember to keep an eye on the weather forecast before programming irrigation – if rain is coming, factor that in. Check the irrigation restrictions webpage ecan.govt.nz/irrigation-restrictions first to see if you have water available.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has a webpage with dedicated advice on preparing for the consequences of an El Niño summer.

For details, visit mpi.govt.nz/preparing-for-el-nino

•

The Civil Defence Emergency Management Canterbury website has a section dedicated to emergency preparedness. Visit their page on fires at cdemcanterbury.govt.nz/hazards/fires

Efficient irrigation is key

•

The Rural Support Trust is made up of local rural people who understand the pressure that farmers face. The trust has people you can talk to in North, Central and South Canterbury about the challenges of farming in tough conditions. Visit the RST website to see their resources to help you get through a dry period.

NIWA publishes daily soil moisture deficit maps on its website. These maps give an overview of how dry the ground is in your region, but soil moisture probes are the best way to measure exactly when your paddocks need to have water applied.

Putting the right amount of water on crops and pasture – within the paddock boundary and nowhere else – at the right time is cheapest and most efficient way to utilise irrigation waterway to farm.

It's going to be an especially hot one this summer and chances are we're all looking forward to a dip in our local river, lake or beach.

Before you and the family head out though, you’re going to want to make sure there are no health warnings for toxic algae or harmful bacteria at your local spot.

Environment Canterbury monitors more than 100 sites all over Canterbury and puts up the results on the LAWA Can I Swim Here? website. It’s easy to use, just search the spot you're heading to and it will show you a long-term grade, weekly testing results and any temporary health warnings that apply to the location.

What is toxic algae?

In short, cyanobacteria and faecal contamination.

During hot, dry conditions our lakes and rivers are particularly susceptible to cyanobacteria. This toxic algae can make you sick if you have contact with it (children will have a stronger reaction than adults). It’s also risky for dogs, who seek it out because of its interesting smell and texture.

If your dog becomes unwell after a swim in freshwater, contact your vet as soon as possible to prevent severe illness or even death.

Check popular swim spots at LAWA, or look out for yourself.

We issue a temporary warning when we find toxic algae at the recreation sites we monitor, but if you swim in a remote spot, it might not be somewhere we visit. You can learn how to recognise cyanobacteria yourself by taking a look at the information and videos on the Environment Canterbury Toxic Algae webpage. Basically, if in doubt – keep them out.

Our beaches can also have temporary health warnings pop up, usually this is related to faecal contamination. When present in high levels, faecal bacteria can cause symptoms like diarrhoea, vomiting, rashes and respiratory illness.

To play it safe, we encourage people to hold off from swimming within 48 hours of rainfall at any site. As you all already know, rain causes contaminants from surrounding land to enter the water in larger volumes, increasing the chance that it has levels of bacteria that are unsafe for swimming.

Don’t worry, we still have lots of great places to have a dip.

If it hasn’t been raining and LAWA says you’re good to go – then bombs away!

Visit lawa.org.nz/swim for more information.

Our future, Canterbury public engagement campaign – phase 2 is complete. So what now?

The second phase of themed engagement, aimed at informing a new Canterbury Regional Policy Statement (RPS), the Regional Land Transport Plan, the Regional Climate Action Partnership Plan, and our Climate Action Plan has just closed. That may be the end of this chapter, but it’s not the end of the story and there will be opportunities for you to take part in future.

Environment Canterbury Regional Planning Manager Andrew Parrish explains how, during July and August this year, we asked some very general, high-level questions about people’s visions for freshwater and the goals they want us to work towards together.

Your contribution to this process is important because it will shape the draft RPS as it is written early in the new year. An RPS does not contain any rules, but is very important because it drives and directs all other regional and district plans. This means it can direct anything from how we improve water quality, to where and how we build, to how we enable or incentivise new renewable energy initiatives and how we manage stormwater.

We received some really useful insights and feedback from the community about what matters most to them, and what they love about Canterbury Waitaha. During phase two we presented some options and learned more about the community’s priorities.

A Climate Action Plan and a Regional Climate Action Partnership Plan are new to the mix and for those who have experienced more extreme weather events or are concerned about how communities and businesses might adapt, having a ‘plan’ represents a huge step forward.

Environment Canterbury would like to take this opportunity to thank those who took part in our engagement to date for the many varied and meaningful discussions we had the privilege to listen to. I would also like to thank those who completed one or more of the surveys online or took part in some other way.

Having had those key conversations about which options will best achieve the outcomes people want for our region, we have plenty to keep us busy over the coming months – that's as well as working with our communities on a Long Term Plan.

CPR9071

You can be reassured that there was a strong and coherent rural voice throughout, including that of irrigators, and that it was heard.

During the drafting process we will be in touch with stakeholders and interest groups as needed and we have a number of statutory requirements to meet before we notify a formal draft towards the end of next year. This opens the door once again to the community to make submissions on the draft.

Taking action together to shape a thriving and resilient Canterbury, now and for future generations.

Toitū te marae o Tāne, toitū te marae o Tangaroa, toitū te iwi. ecan.govt.nz

North Otago school farm harnessing education for future primary production

Murray Ibister (left) and Josh Ratcliff.

Educating the youth about agriculture and the primary sector is crucial for the future of the industry, and Waitaki Boys’ High School has the ability to teach these practical skills right on their doorstep.

Fraser Farm is an eight-hectare irrigated and intensively farmed sheep farm, the land for which was historically gifted to Waitaki Boys’ High School (WBHS) in Oamaru. It is overseen by a committee of local farmers, but day-to-day work is largely carried out by the students.

WBHS Head of Agriculture Josh Ratcliff said agricultural education has been offered at the school since 1907.

“Ag has, of course, always been important in our community, but the components of it have evolved over time and so has the farm and what we teach.”

Both the North and the South Farm were extensively renovated from 2012–2015, and since then productivity has been significantly improved. The farm has new pastures, modern fencing and a computerised grid spray irrigation system installed on the north block, with long-line lateral irrigation on the south block.

“We receive water from the Lower Waitaki Irrigation Scheme, and it has made our small property able to improve its performance so it resembles a larger farm system.”

The farm runs an all-sheep system for simplicity, and operates as closely as possible to commercial principles in order to demon­strate to students good management practice in action.

Approximately 140 ewes are wintered, with replacements brought in.

Josh said over the last three years the ewes have averaged 159% lambs tailed. All lambs are taken to finished weights, but many are sold live at the local Waiareka saleyards. This is simpler than taking small numbers to processing and is a good opportunity for students to represent the school.

“It’s great to be able to have ag in the classroom, and we can go and see it and do it rather than being stuck in the classroom. What we teach varies, but it includes all aspects of farm management including animal care, environmental management, water management, pest control, pasture management, agronomy, and plenty of others. More recently we

Students working on fixing an irrigation unit.

have started looking into composting.”

In the Junior School, all Year 9 students take part in an agriculture rotation. The content of this concentrates on the basics of agricultural production – soils, pastures, and stock. Each term is tailored to meet the requirements of the class. Agriculture is an option in Year 10, with the emphasis on preparing students for the senior courses.

WBHS offers NCEA Agricultural Science stand­ards from Level 1 to Level 3, alongside Primary ITO unit standards from Level 1 to Level 3.

Murray Ibister manages the running of the farm, and has done so for nearly ten years. He said he would “originally just do it for six weeks to help out as the previous manager was unwell, and now I’m still here”.

Murray is a retired dairy farmer who does it all as a volunteer. He said one of the achievements he has enjoyed seeing in the farm is the addition of the irrigation systems.

“It wouldn’t be what it is without irrigation. It has allowed us to farm it better and teach more.

“I really enjoy working with the boys. Some people don’t like the classroom, both adults and kids, so it is good to be able to teach things outside in a practical way. We have some laughs. While some boys are more observant than others, for a small farm it is really successful.”

IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 23

Preparing for El Niño weather Forecasters have confirmed the arrival of the El Niño weather pattern in Aotearoa New Zealand. It may become stronger later this year and last into 2024. Every El Niño is different. This means it’s hard to predict its impact on our climate and weather. However, during El Niño, New Zealand generally experiences stronger or more frequent winds from the south-west in spring, and the west in summer.

El Niño can bring increased risks of drought and water scarcity, wildfire, heat-related human and animal health concerns, along with flooding. It’s important to have a plan and to be prepared.

RAINFALL PATTERNS ASSOCIATED WITH EL NIÑO Orange and red colours indicate an increased chance for below normal season rainfall.

Spring El Niño years: 1972, 1977, 1987, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2002, 2006, 2015

Summer El Niño years: 1972–73, 1977–78, 1982–83, 1986–87, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1997–98, 2004–05, 2009–10, 2015–16

Autumn El Niño years: 1983, 1987, 1992, 1993, 2005, 2016

Data: NIWA Virtual Climate Station Network (VCSN). Anomalies are calculated with reference to a 1991-2020 climatology. Seasons refer to the meterological seasons (spring September to November, summer December to February, autumn March to May).

24 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

Use irrigation water efficiently, and plan for water restrictions and the need for water reserves, including for firefighting.

WHAT IS EL NIÑO? Typically, El Niño peaks during early summer and weakens in the follow­ing year. Even as it weakens, its influence on the climate can linger sometimes into autumn. According to NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research), sub-surface ocean temperatures have reached over 5°C above normal in parts of the eastern tropical Pacific this year, which suggests the current El Niño development is on a moderate-to-strong trajectory.

“One key difference between historical El Niño events and the current one is that 2023 already features widespread marine heatwaves in the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, away from the equator.

How the El Niño signal interacts with excess warmth across the ocean basins will have an important influence on New Zealand’s weather patterns.” – NIWA meteorologist Ben Noll.

PREPARING FOR EL NIÑO – WHAT YOU CAN DO Set your own outcomes and a plan. Set dates for key decisions depending on financial, climate, soil moisture, and feed conditions.

Discuss your plan with trusted advisers and keep it up-to-date.

• Monitor seasonal forecasts, and extreme weather and fire warnings.

• Make decisions early and act.

• Use irrigation water efficiently, and plan for water restrictions and the need for water reserves, including for firefighting.

• Think of the fire risk – use low flammability plants near buildings

•

• • •

• •

and for shade. Clear flammable plants (particularly grass fuels) away from buildings and other infrastructure, and maintain fire breaks.

Have a robust and realistic financial budget, and keep it updated. Your levy organisation has resources available if you need them.

Talk to experts, such as your bank, accountant, vets, professional advisers, and peers who have been through this before.

Make time for yourself, your staff, and your family. Sometimes a few hours away from the business can make a huge difference.

Check in and connect with your neighbours and whānau.

Peer support and sharing knowledge of previous El Niño events in your area can help.

Ask for help if you need it.

If you are unsure where to go for advice or assistance, you can contact the Ministry for Primary Industry’s (MPI’s) On Farm Support Team at 0800 707 133 or email onfarmsupport@mpi.govt.nz

Further links to resources and support organisations can be found in The Ministry for Primary Industries brochure Preparing for El Niño (mpi.govt.nz).

SUMMER RAINFALL AS A PERCENTAGE OF NORMAL DURING THREE STRONG EL NIÑO SUMMERS

Source: niwa.co.nz/gallery/el-ni%C3%B1o-summer-rainfall-anomalies

IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 25

FOR THOSE WITH ANIMALS

• Look after your animals – regularly monitor stock condition and any signs of heat stress.

• Animals must have access to enough clean water daily. In hot

•

• •

• •

• •

and dry conditions your animals might drink three times more water than usual, especially if they are eating dry feed like hay or pellets. They also need more water if they are working, pregnant, or lactating.

Having a reticulated water supply offers the most control over providing water to your animals. Plan for an alternative water supply if you start to run low, or if the water for your animals becomes contaminated.

Extend your rotation length well before the dry slows pasture growth. Consider the best stock policy and/or milking frequency.

Ensure animals have access to shade. If your property does not have natural shade, such as trees, create shade using buildings or shade sails.

Plan to shear your animals before the summer heat to keep them naturally cooler.

For pastoral farmers, feed is key. Based on your up-to-date feed budget, conserve your true feed surplus and assess the potential for summer feed crops. Consider deferring some grazing as a cheaper alternative to making silage.

Implement and monitor a feed budget to meet your planned livestock numbers, and act on forecast deficits early.

Keep in touch with your livestock agent or meat processor. Book livestock into the meat works well in advance. Additional advice on feed during drought can be found in MPI’s fact sheet ‘Feed in dry times – Get prepared early’: mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/40409

Normal water consumption

Class of Stock

Water (litres/head/day)

Cattle

45

Sheep and Goats

4

Deer (Red)

5

Horses

30

Alpacas

With climate predictions pointing towards long, hot, and dry springs and summers, irrigators need to put in place management strategies to maximise their water allocations.

1. Performance evaluation of your irrigator – Knowing exactly how much and how accurately your irrigator is applying water is essential for making good irrigation decisions.

2. Identify your soil types and know your water holding capacity, field capacity, and irrigation trigger points – Knowing how much water your soil can hold is essential to successful irrigation scheduling. Knowing the locations of your different soil types within your irrigation area is a powerful management tool.

3. Schedule your irrigation – Using soil moisture sensors or soil water budgets to understand when plants need irrigation and how much to apply is essential.

4. Adopt deficit irrigation practices – Deficit irrigation is a scheduling practice that keeps the soil water above the irrigation trigger point but does not fully recharge the soil to field capacity. This allows any rainfall to be taken advantage of, particularly during the shoulders of the irrigation season, thus minimising drainage or surface flow losses from irrigation whilst maximising both your production and water allocations.

5. Prioritise which crops or paddocks to be irrigated – Targeting irrigation to areas of higher production or higher value crops maximises your profitability during drought restrictions.

6. Reduce your irrigation area – Reducing your total irrigation area increases the amount of water available per hectare and may help to get the best from a restricted water supply. Targeting water to more efficient irrigation systems or soil types increases water use efficiency.

7

Pigs

20

Poultry

0.2

26 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

IrrigationNZ recommendations based on this information from NIWA

For further information please visit www.irrigationnz.co.nz/PracticalResources/RiskAdvice/Drought

El Niño weather pattern increases risk of irrigator damage El Niño is here this summer and rural insurer FMG is encourag­ing rural New Zealand to be prepared for the increased risks that they may face due to the dry, hot, and windy conditions on the way.

“As an advice-led insurer, we feel we need to do every­thing we can to help prepare for the potential impacts of this weather pattern,” said FMG’s Advice Services Manager Angela Taylor.

According to NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmos­pheric Research), they are now 100 percent confident of an El Niño over the coming summer and have over 80 percent certainty that this event will extend until autumn 2024. Oceanic temperatures are within the top five strongest El Niños in the last 80 years.

This means an increased risk of drought, increased fire risk, and an increase in high and squally westerly winds. Dry, hot, and windy conditions mean an increased risk of wild­fires so farmers and growers need to do what they can to prepare for the possibility of a worst-case scenario.

It’s important to have a plan in place for windstorms if you operate an irrigator. Every year, wind remains the top cause of irrigator-related losses, accounting for 34 percent of FMG’s total annual irrigator claims.

“The risk of irrigators blowing over is even greater in an El Niño weather pattern. Having a plan in place will ease the pressure when windstorms are fore­cast, and help you react to these sudden events. Your plan should cover wind prediction, who’s responsible,

what needs to be done, and include regular practice runs”.

IrrigationNZ and FMG agree that pointing either into, or away from, the wind remains the best way to reduce damage, as this reduces the surface area exposed to the wind. Head to www.fmg.co.nz/irrigators for more on FMG’s “point, park, and anchor” precautions.

With an increased risk of high winds fore­cast it’s important to keep trees and branches near buildings trimmed to avoid damage.

“Trees and branches falling, wind lift­ing iron and tiles off roofs, and loose items blown into the sides of houses are a common cause of claims. A good rule is keeping branches trimmed and at least three metres clear of any build­ings and overhead power lines.

We recommend securing any outdoor items that could become missiles in intense winds. If you notice any loose tiles or iron, repair these as soon as possible,” said Angela.

She also noted that with the increased risk from wildfire now is the time to prepare by doing things like clear­ing vegetation, cleaning gutters, creating and maintaining a defensible space around your home and other buildings, setting up water supplies, and forming a plan.

“Head to fireandemeregency.nz for informa­tion on its National Wildfire Readi­ness and Prevention campaign.

There is a lot you can do to lessen any impact by preparing now, and it will also increase your chances of navigating a major event safely.”

“It’s important to have an escape plan and practice it regularly with your family and your staff. Make sure your RAPID number is displayed at the end of your driveway, where they are easy to see from the road, and that your access ways are clear. You should also make sure you have enough water supplies available, with clear signage.”

Burn-offs are a legitimate land manage­­ment tool but it’s important to plan them and consider the weather conditions, fuel conditions, and any regulatory requirements you need to meet ahead of time.

“Head to checkitsalright.nz to request a fire permit. Even if you are cautious, it doesn’t completely remove the risk of fire.”

FMG is sponsoring a podcast called El Niño Watch – www.farmersweekly. co.nz/podcasts/el-nino-watch – with weekly updates on the developing weather pattern which you can find on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Other useful tools are NIWA’s drought forecasting dashboard – niwa. co.nz/climate/seasonal-climateoutlook – and the Ministry for Primary Industries’ Preparing for El Niño Page – www.mpi.govt.nz/funding-ruralsupport/adverse-events/preparing-forel-nino.

IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 27

Enabling works commenced at Otawere Reservoir (October 2023).

Water storage in Northland continuing to progress at speed Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust was created in mid-2020 to initiate water storage and distribution schemes in areas in Northland.

The Trust’s objective is to develop multiple independent water schemes to enable the establish­ment of commercially viable and environmentally sustainable horti­culture while providing economic and employ­ment opportunities to the region. In addition to this, there is the ability to provide additional capacity for municipal water supplies.

District councils can elect to buy shares in the schemes, meaning the need for water restrictions in towns such as Kaikohe and Dargaville could be mitigated.

Over the past three years, despite multiple extreme weather events and a pandemic, Te Tai Tokerau Water Trust has managed to: • design and consent three high potential impact classification (PIC) reservoirs and associated infrastructure from scratch, • complete construction of the 750,000m3 Matawii Reservoir, • largely complete the 3,300,000m3 Te Waihekeora Reservoir, • install approximately 20km of mainline, • construct six pump stations and two stream intakes.

28 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

Otawere Reservoir site blessing (October 2023).

The Trust believes that the water schemes will be of benefit to the entire community. As such, the Trust has consulted widely with iwi and the larger community in areas where develop­ments are planned, and will continue to do so as the project moves forward.

While the Trust will build the schemes, the long-term plan is for control of each scheme to transition to separate water companies, con­trolled by their shareholders.

The Trust and its wider network of part­

ners and suppliers are now extremely excited to be starting work on the 4,000,000m3 Otawere Reservoir. A Manawhenua blessing

by Kaumatua was held on-site on Wednesday 18 October with main contractors, MAP Projects, and Pro­gressive Earthmoving.

The Otawere Reservoir, comprising a 17 metre high main embankment and a 10 metre high saddle dam, is planned to be completed by mid-2025.

Te Waihekeora Reservoir nearing completion (August 2023).

Matawii Reservoir almost full (September 2023).

IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 29

Talking evaporation, transpiration, and transformation Summer is on the horizon, and it is important to consider evapo­ trans­piration and under­stand its impact, whether you’re a farmer, vegetable grower, or orchardist.

Bryn Thompson has recently helped develop a new ‘Evapotranspiration Tool’ which enables more informed decisions to be made about irrigation. We caught up with HortPlus Product Development Manager Bryn Thompson to find out about the tool and the team behind its development.

How did you become interested in water management?

I’ve been interested in water and its impact on our environment since a young age. I grew up on sheep and beef farms in the Waikato and Manawatu, so I was surrounded by lots of waterways that I would explore as a kid, hunting for koura and many other aquatic critters and plants.

This interest led me to study ecology and environmental sciences at Victoria University.

There I worked alongside a team of students to calculate Macroinvertebrate Community Index (MCI) scores across the Kaiwharawhara catchment, to assess the impacts of urban runoff on waterway health. During this work I was offered a job monitoring water quality for Horizons Regional Council while I completed my studies.

My farming background, studies, and work with council opened my eyes to the importance of managing water as a scarce resource, as well as the vital role it plays in agricultural production, our economy, and the health of our ecosystems.

After starting my role at HortPlus in 2022, I quickly gained an appreciation for technology and the role it can play to help solve many of the pest and disease challenges New Zealand growers face. I knew immediately that I wanted to introduce an irrigation and water management branch to the services we offered.

What is HortPlus and how long has it been around?

HortPlus has been around since 1998 and our current director Mike Barley has been at the helm since 2003, when he joined the company in Hawke’s Bay. Since then we’ve

30 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

opened a second office, in Wellington, and the company has gained a solid reputation as a leader in the development of digital tools for agricultural pest and disease management, as well as spray management.

We’ve historically worked most closely with the horticulture industry on technology and tools that assist with weather forecasting and pest and disease management. More recently, we’ve begun creating some more dedicated water management tools that are of particular interest to farmers, as well as many of the growers we have supported to-date.

Some people may not be aware that we have a network of more than 90 weather stations up and down the country, and work closely with MetService to support their forecasting. We tap into their large network of weather stations to provide more accurate forecasts for our users.

Our main platform is MetWatch, which gives growers, agronomists, and researchers access to powerful models and weatherbased data to support decision making. This is free to growers in many different sectors via Weather & Disease portals and is also available as a stand-alone subscription-based service for businesses.

What’s the story with the new Evapotranspiration Tool?

The Evapotranspiration Tool is a new resource that takes account of factors including rainfall, wind, humidity, temperature, sunlight, and the type of crop being grown.

By modelling evapotranspiration using data from weather stations across New Zealand, the tool can generate localised historic and forecast evapotranspiration information to provide insights for growers

and assist in their day-to-day irrigation decision making. The forecast information will be particularly popular.

The beauty of the tool is in its simplicity; it strikes a balance between providing rich information and ensuring that information is easy for users to understand and make use of in their decision making.

What are your views on technology’s role in solving water manage­ment issues?

New digital tools, drones, AI (artificial intelli­gence), and other technology have the potential to transform the agriculture industry.

That’s not to say the human factor isn’t critical – it absolutely is – but tech­nology can amplify our efforts, make science more accessible, and speed things along.

Our culture of innovation and our can-do attitude make New Zealanders well-placed to be the creators of new technology, and the time to do it is right now.

How did you develop the Evapotranspiration Tool and what makes it unique?

We’ve now been working on the Evapotranspiration Tool for over a year, and talking with growers, researchers, and agronomists from many industries to produce something that will inform farm practices across New Zealand.

We were fortunate to have the support of an advisory panel made up of growers and leading New Zealand researchers from organisations such as Foundation for Arable Research, Plant & Food Research, NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research), and LandWISE.

Bryn inspecting a rain gauge at Ruahapia, near Hastings.

We have developed the new resource to be useful to most people, and provide an entry level understanding and forecast of how water enters and leaves a property’s soil.

It’s available via our MetWatch platform, which is provided free to growers in a wide range of horticultural sectors, from the vegetable and cereal crop sectors, to the summerfruit, kiwifruit, and pipfruit sectors.

With there currently being an El Niño phase in New Zealand, I hope this new functionality will add to farmers’ and growers’ tool­kits at a critical time. I’m looking forward to seeing it used in the upcoming irrigation season, and to knowing that growers are assisted in protecting both their crops and the environment through more informed irrigation.

How do people access the tool?

Growers in many industries can access the Evapotranspiration Tool free of charge via industry-specific portals available in the growers or members sections of the websites for Foundation for Arable Research, New Zealand Apples & Pears, Onions New Zealand, Summerfruit New Zealand, and Vegetables New Zealand.

IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 31

Facing challenges and change, and measuring success Thriving Southland is a community-led group with a vision to create a prosperous Southland, healthy people, and a healthy environment from the mountains to the sea. Richard Kyte is the Project Lead for the group. We caught up with him to hear about the group, what it is doing, embracing change, and measuring success.

Richard Kyte, Thriving Southland Project Lead.

32 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

Please tell us about yourself and your role at Thriving Southland I’m originally from the Lake District in England and spent my early years working for my family on mixed sheep, beef, and dairy farms. It was there that I developed a strong connection with the land and nature, learning to build dry stone walls and lay Hawthorn hedges, amongst other things.

After an agricultural exchange, I emigrated the New Zealand in 1988, met my wife-to-be, and married into Southland.

Over the last 30 years I’ve worked in the dairy industry, including several years as Regional Leader for DairyNZ in the South­ ern South Island. I also branched out into consult­ing and during this time I became interested in the ground-up approach to change, and the value of collective thinking in cross-sectoral catchment groups.

My current role is Project Lead for Thriv­ ing Southland. We support 35 catch­ment groups throughout Southland, covering 90 per­cent of the region’s productive land area.

What is the aim of Thriving Southland, and how does it work?

Thriving Southland was set up by a crosssectoral group of farmers and passionate rural professionals as a response to increasing regulation. Our focus was, and is, on a positive approach to change.

Our aim is to provide catchment groups access to support as well as science and information relevant to their farms and catch­ment community. We are “inspiring community change”.

Thriving Southland is made up of a crosssectoral board with a team of five coordinators (four FTE equivalents) and three support roles including a project manager and project administrator.

The focus is supporting the groups as well as assisting with the setup and running of projects that the groups have come up with.

The groups are independent, but Thriving Southland manages the contracts, helps pay invoices, and lightens the load for already busy people.

Thriving Southland is funded predomi-

nantly through the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) but also attracts funding from other areas for projects on the ground.

Agmardt has been a supporter of one of our major projects.

What has driven the level of engagement?

Change is a difficult space for everyone, and many farmers are looking for solutions to the challenges they face. Regulation is part of that, but farmers are more engaged if they can control their own direction and outcomes.

We are seeing catchment groups getting their heads around their own information, science, and solutions that are relevant to their farm­ing businesses and catchments. In effect, this will leave policy struggling to catch up because policy tends to sit at a higher coarser level.

What do you do to meet your focus?

Our focus is to provide the information, tools, and people to help our catchment groups thrive. There is a lot of information available, but we see that research tends to live on the shelf and often there is no application of the findings at a farm or sub-catch­ment level.

Engaging on the ground and listening to farmers and their communities to align research with positive outcomes is seen by many as expensive and difficult. But good engagement and extension is the only way to get value out of the research that has been done.

Is on-farm change a focus for you?

Thriving Southland’s focus is on having a holistic approach to change. We are about the tools, not the rules.

It’s a challenging area when you look at all the factors that must be considered and that are all interrelated. This includes people, water quality, biodiversity, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, mental health, financials, market requirements, and more.

Catchment groups look at all these factors, bringing intellect and diversity of thought to the table – and that is where the value lies. Part of the value is also in the way

that empowered communities that have a clear direction support better mental health.

The reality is our focus is on supporting people, and if you are not in a good space nothing happens.

How do you encourage people to implement change to their farm systems?

People implement change to their farm systems when they see benefits for themselves or watch their peers do something successful.

This gives them the confidence to invest in change where required.

ground-up approach to change. Southland’s latest iteration started in 2012 and, by 2019 had 18 groups. Today there are 35 groups with around 1,500 participating farmers. I believe it is the direct on-the-ground support

by Thriving Southland that has enabled this. Catchment groups, like most things, have busy periods and slow periods. It is important to acknowledge this so people don’t get burnt out and so that a slow period isn’t interpreted as a catchment group not delivering.

What are the plans/goals for the group?

Thriving Southland will be here for as long as we are making a difference, and our groups want us. Long-term sustainable funding is our focus as well as encouraging more collaboration between the science and research sector and our catchment communities. Looking at the momentum and the difference groups are making, not just in Southland but nationally, I think there is a strong case for continued support.

How do you measure change and progress?

We spend a lot of time surveying the groups and individuals on what they are doing, and we have to remember to also look at what has already been achieved – which can often be overlooked. Farmers have been evolving their systems for generations and it is important to acknowledge that. I think you would be hardpressed to find an era that stood still.

If you plotted the level of participation, what does it look like over time?

There have been catchment groups in many forms over the generations, embracing the

Thriving Southland works with 35 groups with around 1,500 participating farmers.

IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 33

TECHNICAL

Stephen McNally Principal Technical Advisor IrrigationNZ

Enabling and empowering change Genuine consideration of climate adaptation in the New Zealand rural sector is gain­ ing momentum, and not just because communities face increasing challenges from extreme weather events and shifting climate patterns. While we have faced floods and storms in the last year, and now potentially drought conditions, our rural communities are well underway with planning and implementing practical changes. A critical aspect of this adaptation revolves around positive changes to freshwater management, including irrigation practices.

We have already witnessed significant shifts in our approach to managing water resources. Over the past couple of decades, codes of practice, guidelines, and standards

34 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

have been introduced to help support more consistent policies on freshwater manage­ ment, including an emphasis on efficient irrigation systems. We still have a way to go to get the balance right, but the direction of travel is positive. Awareness through general education programmes and specific qualification training initiatives have been empowering rural communities to embrace best practices. Farmers are increasingly recognising the importance of managing their soils, using efficient irrigation, and making crop management choices that align with changing local conditions.

Measuring the impact of these changes involves robust data collection and analysis, enabling the monitoring of the effects of

good practices and their role in enhancing water use efficiency. However, some of the environmental indicators of improvement may still take time to infiltrate through the biological and geophysical systems we operate within. A much more immediate indicator is behavioural change, which among farmers and stakeholders is becoming more prevalent.

The principles of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) are well accepted in many aspects of community decision-making, particularly seen where large-scale infrastructure developments are being contemplated.

We are likely to see more of this approach as we again consider water storage and

distribution infrastructure as plausible and viable solutions to address the pressing need of long-term water availability and security in our key primary production regions.

These IAP2 principles promote inclusivity, early engagement, transparency, effective participation, and common objectives in agreements, facilitating a collaborative approach to decision-making.

Continuous feedback loops are integral to adaptive management, facilitating policy reviews and refinement. There is historical evidence of a lag between central policy development and regional implementation; for example, regional councils are still work­ing on changes in policies and natural resource plans triggered by central govern­ment policies from as far back as 2014 and in some instances beyond that again. This lag gap does not help rural communities become more responsive to their role in climate challenges. The pace of change demanded by global consumers is, by comparison, ramping up through market transparency. Change needs to balance climate adaptation and market demands with the practical realities of modifying seasonally controlled rural businesses, which need to accommodate these changes while ensuring societal and economic resilience.

Crucially, achieving change in rural climate adaptation needs to be driven by empowerment, education, and incentivisation rather than solely relying on directives and penalisation. Unfortunately, the style of legislative documents governing land and water use are often limited by the way they are drafted to meet legal precedence through courts, and tend to have focus on those slow to change. Laws incorporate fees and fines for non-compliance and rarely include acknowledgments or rewards of those staying ahead of the curve. Empowering rural communities with the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions will continue to be a notable change. It not only leads to better resource utilisation, but fosters both a sense of ownership of the outcomes and responsibility for intergenerational stability for our communities.

Incentivisation through financial rewards and other benefits, such as less compliance intervention, can motivate stakeholders to voluntarily adopt good water management practices, aligning individual and community interests with broader environmental and climate goals. This approach ensures a higher

degree of ownership of outcomes.

Organisations like IrrigationNZ are pivotal in supporting these positive path­ ways, by offering resources, training, and expertise to empower farmers and rural communities. This is supported by a role advocating for incentivisation over punitive measures to encourage willing and wholehearted change among stakeholders.

This approach leads to a more inclusive, positive, and enduring transformation in rural sector climate adaptation, enhancing outcomes and long-term sustainability.

Organisations like IrrigationNZ are pivotal in supporting these positive path­ways, by offering resources, training, and expertise to empower farmers and rural communities.

OUR CHANGEABLE WEATHER This year has taken our focus from Cyclone Gabrielle to El Niño, but what about looking to the decades to come?

We have already seen some sobering maps from NIWA (National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research) that in September resolved questions for 2023/24 on the unpredictability of the El Niño cycle impacting New Zealand. This has been set against the backdrop of increasingly extreme, but somewhat inevitable, weather patterns driven by climate change.

New Zealand’s primary sector, which produces vital food resources, is now highly likely to face some tough challenges for the 2023/24 summer and potentially even into the next; El Niño has been known to last for 18 months.

While New Zealand is favoured by an abundance of freshwater, it does not always fall where and when it’s needed. El Niño can significantly modify those patterns.

As we find ourselves in front of a potential drought that may become quite deep, the repercussions on irrigation-dependent food production, especially fruits and vegetables, could be profound, particularly in areas without the provision of adequate water capture and storage.

The anguish brought about by floods earlier this year spurred the previous Govern­ ment to consider legislation for community retreat. However, let us not just focus on the immediate and very real impacts of the season at hand. It is equally important that as a nation we develop a much longer-term, strategic approach to water availability and security for all segments of our community.

PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSIONER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT In early November we saw commentary from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) on what is seen as one of the greatest weaknesses in New Zealand’s environmental management system: informa­ tion. The PCE was set up to provide MPs with independent, high-quality advice on environmental matters.

The PCE said, “Almost all my investigations as Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment have identified significant gaps in data, information, and knowledge about the environment. Those gaps are seriously impeding better environmental management and hindering anyone wanting to examine the effectiveness of that management. Filling those gaps will require sustained investment by successive Governments in high-quality information.”

Earlier in 2023 IrrigationNZ submitted to Stats NZ on the inconsistency in data collection regarding irrigation practices.

This data is crucial for understanding the impact on freshwater resources. While fertiliser questions appear in both the Annual Production Survey (APS) and the five-yearly Agri­cultural Production Census (APC), irrigation questions are omitted from the annual survey. IrrigationNZ recommended reviewing the irrigation questions, ensuring data consistency, and providing a more informed under­standing of irrigation’s role in freshwater manage­ment. Consistent with the recent PCE commentary, IrrigationNZ note that the annual Our Freshwater reports published by Stats NZ and the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) have consistently commented on irrigation practices bracketed with fertiliser use and labelled both as being environmental detractors. It may be that the inconsistency in official data gathering on irrigation by Stats NZ could be leading to this somewhat uninformed and dated view.

IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 35

NATURAL CAPITAL: ARE OUR COMMUNITIES CONSIDERING ENOUGH? A recent post by Conan Moynihan, 2022 Kellogg Rural Leader Scholar, arrived while I was addressing points in a council regional policy statement review hearing.

The comments by Conan and my review of the plan change emphasise the importance of adopting a holistic and collaborative approach when it comes to things like natural capital. Natural capital, which encompasses the environmental assets and resources that support economic decision-making, should be considered in a broader context.

Accounting for the natural capital of a farm highlights the potential benefits of linking environmental conditions with economic decision-making. This connection could result in more favourable loan terms with banks and increased access to invest­ ment for sustainable land management projects. To me this raises several crucial points in policy design.

First, aligning regional policies with a clear national vision is essential for effective policy setting. The absence of a long-term vision at the national level can hinder regional decisionmaking. Collaborative efforts between regional councils and various govern­ment entities are necessary to develop a unified national water strategy that considers economic, environ­ mental, and social aspects.

Second, the concept of Te Mana o te Wai (TMoTW) should encompass a balance between environmental, economic, and social interests. It is important to ensure that the original intent of balance is not lost in the hierarchy-based approach adopted by the authors of central legislation and then by regional councils.

Third, involving both tangata whenua and the wider community in freshwater manage­ ment is crucial, and that includes our food and fibre producers in rural communities.

While the NPS-Freshwater guidelines emphasise engagement with both groups, it is vital to maintain inclusivity and avoid side­ lining rural community interests.

Lastly, the terminology used in the TMoTW framework, specifically the use of ‘hierarchy,’ may not fully capture the signifi­ cance of balanced objectives that consider economic, social, and cultural well-being.

Regional councils should consider these broader dimensions, as seen in international

36 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

frameworks like the UN Sustainable Develop­ ment Goals and New Zealand’s “Four Wellbeings” model that include natural capital as one of the measurables.

A collaborative and holistic approach to including natural capital management involves aligning regional policies with national visions, promoting balance in Te Mana o te Wai, and ensuring inclusive community engagement. This would require considering a broader spectrum of wellbeing dimensions and would lead to more comprehensive and sustainable natural capital management.

DRAFT NATIONAL PLANNING FRAMEWORK NPF IrrigationNZ played a valuable role as a member of the Advisory Group for the first National Planning Framework (NPF), in the development of New Zealand’s new resource management system. While the Natural and Built Environment Act (NBEA) and the Spatial Planning Act (SPA) are slated for repeal by the incoming Government in their current form, they are set to become the cornerstone of Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms, guiding the planning, use, and allocation of resources across Aotearoa New Zealand.

The NBEA introduces the NPF, a single, integrated document that consolidates central government direction on matters of national significance, environmental limits, and targets. The Ministry for the Environment released an engagement draft of the transitional NPF proposal in October, seeking targeted feedback from Māori and local government.

MfE says the NPF serves as a bridge between primary legislation and regional decision-making by streamlining national policy statements, environmental standards, and regulations into a coherent framework.

This development responded to the Resource Management Review Panel’s find­ ings, highlighting the need for a strategic vision and greater consistency in local govern­ ment management. The NPF aims to provide direction on national matters of importance, align with the Treaty of Waitangi, uphold environmental principles, and set limits and targets.

IrrigationNZ will stay engaged if the transitional NPF proposal progresses towards final decisions in 2024/25.

CALL FOR AN ENVIRONMENT SELECT COMMITTEE INQUIRY INTO MANAGED RETREAT As we see the transition to New Zealand’s 54th Government, IrrigationNZ, like others in the sector, have remained committed to engaging in the policy-making process.

IrrigationNZ recognises the momentum in the government system, as several regula­ tory and legislative policies are earmarked for change. One crucial legislative development under review from the RMA reforms is a possible Climate Change Adaptation Bill, with a focus on managed retreat.

IrrigationNZ submitted its concerns and view­points within the stated deadline, even while coalition negotiations were occurring, to ensure its voice was heard as the new Parliament formed.

IrrigationNZ undertook a preliminary review of the Expert Working Group (EWG) report, which emphasised “planned relocation” as a strategic approach. On the other hand, MfE had adopted the term “managed retreat” and our concern was for its lack of consideration for the productive sector’s needs and its reliance on short-term thinking. The MfE’s consultation document had limited engagement with agriculture and horticulture issues.

Our submission called for a more comprehensive approach that encompasses flood protection, water availability and security management, and long-term fresh­water strategies, along with public participation in risk assessment and decision-making.

The absence of input to the MfE consulta­ tion from key governmental bodies, including MPI and MBIE, in the development of a possible Climate Change Adaptation Bill raised concerns about the comprehensiveness of the proposed strategies.

IrrigationNZ in general supports the need to consider a concept of “planned relocation” where insurmountable risk is present but disagrees with the exclusive focus on “managed retreat,” calling for more informed and comprehensive policies. The scope of the inquiry is weakened by not considering where future development should occur.

IrrigationNZ believes that comprehensive climate change adaptation planning should include this aspect.

IrrigationNZ’s submission primarily revolved around adapting to natural hazards linked to climate change, freshwater

manage­ment, and food supply chain security. We will continue to provide a targeted contribution to discussions surrounding climate change adaptation in New Zealand’s productive sectors.

SUBMISSION ON AMENDMENTS TO NPS-HPL The National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land (NPS-HPL) addresses the gradual depletion of HPL due to urban rezoning, rural land fragmentation for non-agricultural purposes, development, and other land uses that do not rely on soil resources. HPL represents the most fertile soil, often featuring favourable climate conditions, suitable soil quality, and relatively flat or gently sloping terrain. Soil quality is an indispensable attribute of HPL, and it constitutes a finite, non-renewable resource crucial for present and future generations engaged in land-based primary production. The primary goal of the NPS-HPL is to preserve the integrity of this soil resource for the sustenance of our communities from land-based primary production.

Amendment issue 1: Lack of a clear pathway

We have concerns regarding the potential consequences of this proposed amendment, particularly with respect to the increased utilisation of Highly Productive Land (HPL) for infrastructure development, notably solar farms. It is essential to emphasise that globally, solar farms have been successfully established on undulating terrain and land not in immediate proximity to the ultimate energy consumers. These arguments should not be exploited to legitimise the loss of highly productive soil classes, further eroding their suitability for their best purpose, which contradicts the fundamental purpose of the National Policy Statement. While the consultation document outlines that this proposed pathway would be subject to the existing safe­guards and assessments as set out in other clauses, apparently ensuring that the necessity of siting infra­structure on HPL is cautiously weighed against the potential loss of available HPL, we have reservations about the practical implementation of this safeguard.

INHD 10/23

for new specified infrastructure.

Amendment Issue 2: Absence of a clear pathway for new intensive indoor primary production and greenhouses.

A challenge emerges when considering the development of new intensive indoor primary production facilities and greenhouses on HPL. The suggestion of needing a defined consent pathway poses a critical issue in cases where operational necessity is claimed as over­arching the value lost in the placement on HPL. These intensive indoor primary production and greenhouse activities have the potential for permanent HPL loss, a central rationale behind the initial exclusion of a consent pathway for such activities during the development of the NPS-HPL.

IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 37

Grassroots Dairy Management Graduate Programme The 2023 Grassroots Dairy Management Graduate Programme is now coming to a close, and in a few short months the 2024 Programme will be underway.

This year seven graduates from Northland to Southland have come together to work full-time on different farms in Canterbury. While doing so they have participated in 30 different modules aimed to prepare them to become great dairy farmers, and leaders with a strong network of rural professionals supporting them.

The modules are structured so they are delivered by a subject matter expert as well as a ‘farmer voice’, to provide a good balance. The graduates have met with the likes of farmers Greg Roadley, Tony Coltman, and Will Grayling, and

rural professionals Charlotte Glass of Agrimagic, Brent Love of KPMG, and Juliette Maitland of Synlait. Topics covered include reproduction, water and fertiliser management, spring pasture management, and building great teams, to name just a few.

The programme is grateful to have the support of the Rabobank Client Council which ensures it can be run at a professional level with little cost incurred by the graduates.

Next year the group will grow to nine graduates, based in Canterbury. The voluntary committee continues to refine the infrastructure of the programme so it may be replicated in other areas of the country by local committees.

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38 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

TECHNICAL

Stephen McNally Principal Technical Advisor IrrigationNZ

Dam safety implementation I delivered a presentation on navigating change in New Zealand dam safety practice at the New Zealand Society on Large Dams (NZSOLD) Symposium in Ōtautahi Christchurch on November 13–14, 2023. My presentation highlighted various updates, opportunities, and challenges related to dam safety regulations in New Zealand from an irrigation infrastructure perspective.

One of the key points was highlighting where common misconceptions surrounding dam safety regulations are occurring. These misconceptions include the belief that the regulations apply to all farm ponds and races, that they are primarily about access safety issues, and that the only option for non-compliant dams is decommissioning. I emphasised that, based on research conducted with the University of Auckland and separately by Aqualinc, there are more classifiable dams in New Zealand than previously estimated, with the number exceeding 3,000.

A two-year implementation period was adopted in the supporting Cabinet paper, with the regulations coming into effect in May 2024. This period aimed to give dam owners sufficient time to prepare for their new obligations and secure recognised dam engineers.

It was also to allow Engineering New Zealand time to train recognised dam engineers needed for the implementation of the regulations, in particular the sign off of Potential Impact Classifications (PICs).

Due to a small pool of expertise, a bottleneck in the supply of recognised engineers is a significant concern.

IrrigationNZ suggests one option is aligning the dam certification process with Freshwater Farm Plan Certifier training and Auditor accreditation to support the PIC process. We also advocate for more detailed content in PIC certificates for low-impact rural structures, emphasising the regulations required for recertification every five years to ensure ongoing safety and compliance. Having detailed assessment at the time of the original PIC will assist in determining if anything has changed, and reduce the analysis cost for the new PIC. One of the fundamental principles of the proposed

dam safety regulations is the risk-based approach, as documented by NZSOLD. The regulations are designed to balance the strength of regulatory requirements with the level of hazard presented by each dam. Dams that pose little or no hazard were intended to face lighter regulatory requirements.

I acknowledged concerns raised by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) in April 2021 about the assessment costs for low-risk agricultural and irrigation dams. However, the Minister for Building at that time emphasised the importance of capturing agricultural dams that are sufficiently large or close to population centres and key infrastructure, as it was considered they do present a hazard.

Another misconception addressed was the belief that farm dams are all inherently safe, which was contrasted with reference to some evidence of failures in the recent Cyclone Gabrielle, highlighting the need for proactive safety measures for some structures.

IrrigationNZ is actively involved in raising awareness of the new dam safety regulations and their implications. We are advocating for more time for the rural sector to adapt to the underestimated scale of the regulations and potential consequences of noncompliance, such as affecting rural bank lending for remediation work.

IrrigationNZ has been collaborating with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to develop tools, including a dam and canal sizing tool.

They recommend further tools to enable rural dam owners to more easily collect necessary data and to assess situational risk through a checklist or screening tool to support the process of determining classifiable thresholds and PIC. My presentation highlighted the evolving landscape of dam safety regulations in New Zealand, with a focus on addressing misconceptions, promoting awareness, and advocating for practical solutions to the challenges faced by the rural sector. IrrigationNZ is actively engaged in these efforts to ensure pragmatic, safe, and compliant management of dams and canals in the country.

IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 39

Seasonal climate outlook December 2023–February 2024 OUTLOOK SUMMARY El Niño continued during November and has around a 100 percent chance of persisting through summer and an 85 percent chance of persisting through autumn. Although it will have an important influence on Aotearoa New Zealand’s climate, unusual ocean heat in the western equatorial Pacific and on a global scale has contributed to circulation patterns that are not typically associated with a traditional El Niño. Summer air pressure is forecast to be above normal north of New Zealand and below normal to the south of the country. This is expected to cause more northwesterly quarter winds than normal across the country for the season. However, the effect of a non-traditional El Niño will likely encourage increased variability in circulation patterns and air flows as compared to historical El Niño summers.

Summer rainfall is most likely to be near normal in the north of the South Island, about equally likely to be near normal or above normal in the west of the South Island, and about equally likely to be near normal or below normal across the remainder of the country. Despite the non-traditional El Niño impacts, an increased awareness around the risk for dry spells is recommended across several regions, as detailed below. This may contribute to

water restrictions, particularly in areas that may not have had them in recent years. Strong lows will occasionally impact the western and lower South Island, delivering heavy rainfall and a risk for flooding. Such activity is possible in mid-to-late December.

Temperatures are most likely to be above average in the east of both islands and the north of the North Island. Temperatures are about equally likely to be near average or above average in all other regions. Spells of hot, humid conditions look likely during December.

Seasonal wind strength is forecast to be above normal across most of the country.

Coastal sea surface temperatures (SSTs) ranged from 0.42˚C to 0.62˚C above average during November.

Localised marine heatwaves may form in the months ahead.

Soil moisture and river flows are about equally likely to be near normal or above normal in the west of the South Island and near normal or below normal in all other regions.

As of late November, fire danger was low across the country. Variable fire danger conditions are expected in December. Property owners are encouraged to keep on top of grass growth, as grass may dry out and become a wildfire fuel source.

It is important to keep a close eye on your irrigation system performance over summer to ensure they are operating efficiently.

40 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

REGIONAL PREDICTIONS Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty • Temperatures are most likely to be above average (55 percent chance). Spells of warm, humid conditions are likely during December.

• Rainfall totals are about equally likely to be near normal (40 percent chance) or below normal (35 percent chance). Periods of heavy rain are possible during the first week of December with drier than normal conditions thereafter.

• Seasonal wind speeds are expected to be stronger than normal.

• Soil moisture levels and river flows are about equally likely to be below normal (45 percent chance) or near normal (40 percent chance).

Central North Island, Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu, Wellington • Temperatures are equally likely to be near average or above average (45 percent chance each). Spells of warm, humid conditions are likely during December.

• Rainfall totals are about equally likely to be near normal (40 percent chance) or below normal (35 percent chance). Periods of heavy rain are possible during the first week of December with drier than normal conditions thereafter.

• Seasonal wind speeds are expected to be stronger than normal.

• Soil moisture levels and river flows are about equally likely to be below normal (45 percent chance) or near normal (40 percent chance).

Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa • Temperatures are most likely to be above average (55 percent chance). Spells of warm-to-hot conditions are possible after the first week of December.

• Rainfall totals are about equally likely to be near normal (40 percent chance) or below normal (35 per­cent chance). Periods of heavy rain are possible during the first week of December with drier than normal conditions thereafter.

• Seasonal wind speeds are expected to be stronger than normal.

• Soil moisture levels and river flows are about equally likely to be below normal (45 percent chance) or near normal (40 percent chance).

Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough, Buller • Temperatures are equally likely to be above average or near average (40 percent chance each). Spells of warm-to-hot conditions are possible after the first week of December.

• Rainfall totals are most likely to be near normal (40 per­cent chance), though there is an increased risk for dry spells in the eastern part of the region due to more frequent northwest winds.

• Seasonal wind speeds are expected to be stronger than normal.

• Soil moisture levels and river flows are about equally likely to be near normal (45 percent chance) or below normal (40 percent chance).

West Coast, Alps and foothills, inland Otago, Southland • Temperatures are equally likely to be above average or near average (45 percent chance each).

• Rainfall totals are about equally likely to be near normal (40 percent chance) or above normal (35 percent chance). Strong lows will occasionally bring heavy rainfall and a risk for flooding.

• Seasonal wind speeds are expected to be stronger than normal.

• Soil moisture levels and river flows are about equally likely to be near normal (40 percent chance) or above normal (35 percent chance).

Coastal Canterbury, east Otago • Temperatures are most likely to be above average (50 percent chance). Highly variable temperatures are likely in early December before a possible warming trend thereafter.

• Rainfall totals are about equally likely to be near normal (40 percent chance) or below normal (35 percent chance). An increased frequency of northwest winds may lead to longer dry spells.

• Periodic wetter than normal conditions may occur when rain bands “spill over” the main divide or during strong southerly changes.

• Seasonal wind speeds are expected to be stronger than normal.

• Soil moisture levels and river flows are about equally likely to be near normal (40 percent chance) or below normal (45 percent chance).

This is an extract of the Seasonal Climate Outlook published by NIWA. Probabilities (or percent chances) are assigned in three categories: above average, near average, and below average. In the absence of any forecast guidance there would be an equal likelihood (33 percent chance) of the outcome being in any one of the three categories. Forecast information from local and global guidance models is used to indicate the deviation from equal chance expected for the coming three-month period.

IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24 / 41

Deckplates your food with d!

e t a g i r r i s ’ t a th

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Merry Christmas FROM

42 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24

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44 / IrrigationNZ News Summer 2023–24