Jun 17, 2025
Farmers and rural leaders urged to seize opportunity to shape the future of freshwater regulation.
Luka Jansen, DINZ Environmental Stewardship Manager
The Coalition Government has launched Phase 2 of their targeted changes to national direction under the Resource Management Act (RMA) and freshwater regulation reforms. Public consultation is now underway and runs until 27 July 2025 and includes 26 proposals across three key areas: infrastructure and development, the primary sector, and freshwater. These proposals aim to simplify and improve the way environmental rules are developed and applied across the country. Housing is another new package that will form part of Phase 2 but the details are yet to be released.
For the deer industry and wider agricultural sector, this is a critical moment. Freshwater policies and national bottom lines have long been a source of frustration, with many regional rules proving unworkable in practice.
DINZ welcomes the opportunity to influence the future of freshwater policy and move toward a practical, outcomes-focused system.
A call for practical, risk-based regulation
There are significant issues the implementation of freshwater regulations across New Zealand; many policies do not make sense on paper, let alone on the ground, and therefore fail to create positive outcomes for our farmers, our communities, our waterways and ecosystems, and our economy.
Why this matters
The freshwater proposals include changes to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management and the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater. These changes aim to rebalance objectives, simplify complex decision-making processes and rules, and provide more flexibility for landowners. DINZ has long advocated for a risk-based approach, such as Freshwater Farm Plans, but current regulations have fallen short.
In Southland, for example, this winter many dairy, sheep, beef and deer farmers are non-complying with the Southland Water and Land Plan rules for intensive winter grazing — not due to negligence, but because the Council has failed to provide sufficient guidance as to what a Southland Farm Plan must contain. It seems that even the Council doesn’t understand what their rules mean on the ground. Freshwater regulations disproportionately burden farmers; the impacts are significant, and this message needs to be heard loud and clear by all New Zealanders and the central government.
In Canterbury, four farms, covering two main catchments of Ashburton Lakes, are facing lengthy and costly separate hearings at the hands of Environment Canterbury (ECan). Three of the stations are deer farms.
Meanwhile, in the Bay of Plenty and Auckland regions, Council policy staff have told industry bodies that land use change — such as converting farmland to forestry — may be necessary to meet water quality objectives. This kind of messaging discourages investment in on-farm mitigations and any focus on good farming practices. These examples highlight that national freshwater bottom lines are not practical, fail to consider other environmental benefits and risks, and most worryingly, aim to hold individual deer farmers accountable for issues beyond their control.
A call to action
DINZ encourages all farmers to engage in the consultation process. It is vital that the Government understands the real-world impact of the existing regulations and bottom lines — as well as any opportunities for improvement.
The Ministry for the Environment is hosting a series of webinars to explain the proposals and answer questions. These sessions are open to the public and will be recorded for those who cannot attend live.
DINZ will be running additional online sessions, and a survey will be sent to all deer farmers to gather information on key areas of concern.
How to get involved
Consider providing feedback as an individual or via your local Deer Farmers’ Association. This is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to help shape the rules that will govern our land, water, and livelihoods.
You can read the full discussion documents and submit your feedback through the Ministry for the Environment’s consultation portal:
👉 Freshwater national direction - Ministry for the Environment - Citizen Space
Let’s make sure the voice of the deer industry — and the wider farming community — is part of that conversation.
Do not hesitate to contact Luka Jansen, DINZ environmental stewardship manager, to seek further guidance on how your voice can be heard luka.jansen@deernz.org
