On the 3rd of April 2019, Horizons received the Environment Court's decision on Wellington Fish & Game and the Environmental Defence Society’s application for declarations. The focus of the declarations was on the implementation of rules in the One Plan that require resource consents for intensive farming activities (Rules 14-1 to 14-4 of the One Plan, covering land use and associated discharges). Many of you may be nervous about what this ruling means for the intensive farming resource consent process as it applies to you, whether you have already been granted consent, you have a current application that has been lodged with Horizons, or you have yet to apply for an intensive farming consent. The declarations issued by the Court have no direct effect on intensive farming consents that have already been granted. Those consents, and their conditions, remain valid. Farmers with existing consents should continue to work to the conditions of their consents. However, the declarations do have a direct impact on the way the Council must process and consider consent applications from the date of the Court's decision, and as a result this page now contains documents that will provide guidance to those looking to apply for a resource consent for intensive farming activities.
One Plan FAQs
This document will help to answer some of the common questions and uncertainties that have arisen from the Court's decision.
Intensive Farming - Overview Document
This document walks you through all of the steps necessary before filling out the appropriate application forms.
Intensive Farming - Application Guide
This guide will help to assist applicants and their technical advisors in the preparation of resource consent applications for intensive farming activities under the Horizons One Plan.
Nutrient Management Plan Template
This document is the suggested template for a Nutrient Management Plan. The template is designed to provide the information required in an NMP, but also minimise repetition from the information required in the application forms. Please contact the Rural Advice Team on 0508 800 800 for an editable copy.
Mitigating Nutrient Loss from Pastoral and Crop Farms
This document is a compilation of mitigations an intensive pastoral or crop farm could use to reduce its environmental impact.
Statutory Provisions
Fertiliser Association Code of Practice
The Fertiliser Association of New Zealand's Code of Practice for fertiliser nutrient management contains helpful information for farmers looking to reduce their nitrogen leaching.
Ready to apply for a resource consent?