One Plan - Intensive Land Use Information

The Environment Court's decision following Environmental Defence Society (EDS) and Wellington Fish and Game's declaratory proceedings against Horizons Regional Council was made in March 2017. The declaration focus was on the implementation of rules that reduce leaching of nutrients from farms. The two organisations sought clarification around assessments of consent applications under intensive land use rules in Horizons’ One Plan. 

While we work our way through the implications of the decision, we have set up this page to house both practical information for those looking to apply for an intensive farming consent, and governance/communication information related to the Court's findings, such as Council papers, media releases, eNewsletters and helpful guides.
 

Intensive Land Use Consents - Implementation Information

On the 3rd of April, 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. 

Relevant Council Papers/Documents

1. Strategy and Policy Committee (12/4/17): One Plan Evaluation Report: Nutrient Management and Water Quality
2. Environment Committee (11/4/17): One Plan Implementation Dashboard
3. One Plan Implementation Dashboard Document
4. Environment Committee (8/8/17): One Plan Implementation Dashboard 
5. One Plan Implementation Dashboard Document
6. Strategy and Policy Committee (9/8/17): Implementation of Intensive Land Use Rules
7. Strategy and Policy Committee (12/8/17): One Plan Evaluation Report
8. The One Plan - Discharges to Land and Water
9. Correspondence to Wellington Fish and Game
10. Planning opinion on consenting pathways for intensive farming: Horizons One Plan
11. Memorandum from van Voorthuysen Environmental Ltd on Intensive Farming Land Use Activities
12. Memorandum from van Voothuysen Environmental Ltd on RDA Consent Forms and Guidance Documents
13. The feasibility of nutrient leaching reductions within constraints of minimum impact on the profitability and production of five dairy farms in Horizons Region
14. An Impact Assessment of One Plan policies and rules on farming systems in Horizons Region 
15. Strategy and Policy Committee (11/10/17): One Plan Update
16. Correspondence to Wellington Fish and Game, and the Environmental Defence Society (EDS)
17. Strategy and Policy Committee (14/11/17): One Plan Change Pathways
18. Strategy and Policy Committee (14/11/17): Annex A Notes on the derivation of One Plan Table 14.2
19. Strategy and Policy Committee (14/8/18): Programme for addressing intensive land use rules
20. Strategy and Policy Committee (11/11/18): Plan Change 2 Process
21. Strategy and Policy Committee (30/10/18): Confirmation of Plan Change 2 Process
22. Strategy and Policy Committee (26/2/19): Next Steps: Freshwater Planning