Waikato Regional Plan Change 2: Taupō Overseer Version

Plan Change 2:  Taupō Overseer Version changed the Taupo rules in Chapter 3.10 of the Waikato Regional Plan to allow the use of updated Overseer versions for modelling nitrogen leaching. A Streamlined Planning Process was used for the plan change where the Minister for the Environment directed the process and made the final decision. The Minister has now approved the plan change.

The public notice of the Minister’s decision and the operative date can be found here.

The operative version of Chapter 3.10 can be found here.

The Waikato Regional Plan has rules to manage farming so that Lake Taupō water quality is protected. Prior to Plan Change 2, the current rules specified that nitrogen leaching was to be modelled using version 5.4.3 of Overseer. This version of Overseer expires in December 2020, so a change is needed to the rules to allow updated versions of Overseer to be used.

The change to the regional plan needed to be made well before December 2020 so all properties with a nitrogen discharge allowance (NDA), the 83 current farming consents, as well as the nitrogen trading contracts, could be updated using new Overseer versions before then.

A standard plan change process was unlikely to result in new operative rules early enough. That’s why Waikato Regional Council requested to use a ‘streamlined planning process’ (SPP) which is allowed by the Resource Management Act.

What does the plan change mean for landowners?

• There will be no changes to the current land use or intensity of land use for individual farmers.
• An Overseer Reference Dataset (ORD) will be developed for each farm, based on farmers’ current Nitrogen Discharge Allowance (NDA) and farming activities, which is then entered into OverseerFM.
• The ORD will become the farm’s reference dataset to compare future farm management changes to, and will replace the NDA.
• You will require a subscription to OverseerFM.
• Your consent will require updating.
• You will be able to update your Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) as currently allowed.
• You will be able to continue nitrogen trading and leasing

How we’ll change from an NDA to an ORD

 The process for changing from an NDA to an ORD is as follows:

• Council staff will work with farmers to develop an ORD for the farm which describes the current farm system, as it would be if the farmer was using all their NDA as modelled by the current Overseer v5.4.3 (accounting for any previous trading, subdivision and amalgamation). In this way, we will ensure that the farm’s ORD is equivalent to its NDA.
• The farm’s ORD will represent the nitrogen allowance attached to the land, prior to any temporary leasing arrangements. Any leasing arrangements will be accounted for in the farm’s Nitrogen Management Plan.
• Once the ORD has been developed, and the farmer has subscribed to Overseer, the completed ORD will be transferred into the farmer’s Overseer account.
• In future, if a farmer wishes to change farm practices, they will model the proposed changes through the latest version of Overseer. If there is no more modelled leaching than when the ORD is modelled through the same version of Overseer, then the proposed farm changes can be made.

As a result of submissions, further changes were made to rules which allocate a small amount of nitrogen for development of forestry and undeveloped land, so that they continue to operate using updated Overseer versions. For further information, refer to the above Step 6 report - summary and response to submissions.

Step 1 – Prenotification consultation during preparation of the draft plan change. Completed 30 April 2020

Step 2 – Consultation on the draft plan change documents. Completed 30 April 2020

Step 3 – Notification on 30 April 2020

Step 4 – Submission period closed 28 May 2020

Step 5 – Resolution of disputes process completed 30 June 2020

Step 6 – Reports sent to Minister on 10 July

Step 7 – The Minister approved the plan change on 10 September 2020