Freshwater Farm Plans
Freshwater farm plans are a practical way for farmers and growers to identify, manage and reduce the impact of farming on wai māori (freshwater).
Horizons acknowledges announcements made by central government about changes to the freshwater farm plan system, including the one made in December 2025. You can read the announcement here.
We are working with central government to ensure the freshwater farm plan system is cost effective and pragmatic while supporting our communities' aspirations for improved freshwater quality. The content below should be read with the above announcements in mind.
Freshwater farm plans are a practical way for farmers and growers to identify, manage and reduce the impact of farming on wai māori (freshwater).
Farmers and growers in the Horizons Region are already making good progress in improving wai māori (freshwater). Many belong to catchment groups, have farm plans, and are working to mitigate the impact of farming activities on wai māori (freshwater). Freshwater farm plans will build on the good mahi (work) farmers and growers have done and continue to do.
This webpage and associated links will continue to be updated as more information is available.
What is a freshwater farm plan?
Freshwater farm plans have been introduced as part of central government’s Essential Freshwater package and are part of a regulated farm planning system for farmers and growers.
A freshwater farm plan must identify:
the risks of adverse effects of farming activities on freshwater or freshwater ecosystems
actions that avoid, remedy or mitigate those risks.
The plan must also set a timeframe for each action to be implemented.
Over time, freshwater farm plans are expected to become the central tool for farmers and growers to manage all of their freshwater regulatory requirements.
More information can be found in the Ministry for the Environment's guidance document Developing a Freshwater Farm Plan.
Who needs a freshwater farm plan?
All farmers or grower with:
50 hectares or more in pastoral, arable, or mixed land use
50 hectares or more of viticultural or orcharding land use
5 hectares or more in commercial vegetable growing or other horticultural use
A commercial dairy farm.
What are the benefits of a freshwater farm plan?
Provides a record of past, present and future environmental actions
Can support the development of an integrated farm plan
Links your farm to community or catchment group priorities
May provide assurance to suppliers and customers
May eliminate the need for some resource consents
Can list your existing resource consents and conditions.
What about my current farm plan (e.g. Whole Farm Plan under SLUI)?
A lot of farmers and growers will already have an industry plan in place. Those can form the basis of a freshwater farm plan, but will need to be modified to ensure they meet freshwater farm plan requirements. Some industry groups are already preparing for this by adding additional items into industry plan platforms, and doing other things to help farmers and growers get current plans closer to freshwater farm plan standard.
How is Horizons helping?
Horizons is pulling together catchment contexts (aka CCCVs) to provide you with the context, challenges and values of the catchment you operate in. The context is the key piece of information about your catchment, as each freshwater farm plan needs a description of the catchment the property is in.
These will enable you to meet the requirement of tailoring your plans to identify the best actions possible to achieve the desired environmental outcomes for the wai māori (freshwater) of your catchment. The first set for Rangitīkei-Turakina is ready now. The remaining catchments will be available on or before their go-live dates.
Horizons is here to support the implementation of freshwater farm plans. Staff are talking directly to tangata whenua, industry groups, catchment groups, rural professionals, and other organisations that will also play a role in the development of freshwater farm plans. We highly recommend you connect with your local catchment care groups and rural professionals for this process.
You can also call freephone 0508 800 800 or email FreshwaterFarmPlans@horizons.govt.nz if you need any information on these webpages clarified.
Essential information
Horizons developed training modules for freshwater farm plan certifier training. However, these modules are essential for anybody involved in freshwater farm plan development and will have a significant value beyond the freshwater farm plan system.