Rules and regulations for landowners
The Proposed Regional Plan for Northland has rules that cover a variety of on-farm activities. The rules aim to help protect our environment, while at the same time provide for essential work to be done. In addition to our Northland rules, there are national rules that apply to these activities.
Always check the rules before you do the work
Before doing any work on farm, check the rules to make sure you comply with our permitted activity status or if you may need to apply for a resource consent under the regional or national rules.
If in doubt about whether your proposed work will need a consent or not, please contact our friendly staff – we’re happy to help.
List of common activities
The list below has common activities that farmers might want to undertake and points you to the relevant rules in the Regional Plan and National Standards.
Bear in mind it’s not a list of every rule in the Proposed Regional Plan – check the full plan or ask us if you’re not sure whether rules apply to your proposed work.
| Activity | Proposed Plan rule | National Standards |
| Activities in the beds of lakes and rivers | C.2.1 | RMA River and lake beds - Restriction on certain uses of beds of lakes and rivers |
| Extraction of material from rivers | C.2.1.2 | |
| Maintenance of the free flow of water in rivers and mitigating bank erosion | C.2.1.3 | |
| Demolition and removal of existing structures | C.2.1.7 | |
| Construction and installation of structures | C.2.1.8 | |
| Minor riverbank protection works | C.2.1.9 |
Information resources on NRC website
| Activity | Proposed Plan rule | National Standards |
| Activities affecting wetlands | C.2.2 | National Environmental Standards for Freshwater - Natural inland wetlands |
National wetland guidance on Ministry for the Environment website:
* Note that these general conditions apply to all activities in the beds of lakes and rivers
| Activity | Proposed Plan rule | National Standards |
| General conditions* | C.2.3 | |
| All activities in or around wetlands or water bodies | National Environmental Standards for Freshwater 2020 |
Information resources on NRC website
| Activity | Proposed Plan rule | National Standards |
| Damming and diverting water | C.3 |
Information resources on NRC website
| Activity | Proposed Plan rule | National Standards |
| Land drainage |
C.4.1 | NES - Drainage of natural wetlands |
| Land drainage and flood control general conditions |
C.4.1.9 |
Information resources on NRC website
| Activity | Proposed Plan rule | National Standards |
| Taking and use of water | C.5 | NES Part 3 - Other activities |
| Water metering | Resource Management (Measurement and Reporting of Water Takes) Regulations 2010 |
Information resources on NRC website
| Activity | Proposed Plan rule | National Standards |
| Discharges to water |
C.6 | |
| Domestic discharges | C.6.1 | |
| Farm or horticulture discharges | C.6.3 |
Information resources on NRC website
| Activity | Proposed Plan rule | National Standards |
| Agrichemicals and vertebrate toxic agents | C.6.5 |
| Activity | Proposed Plan rule | National Standards |
| Burning | C.7.1 |
Information resources on NRC website
| Activity | Proposed Plan rule | National Standards |
| Livestock exclusion | C.8.1 | RMA (Stock Exclusion) Regulations |
| Land preparation (cultivation) | C.8.2.1 | NES - Arable and horticultural land use |
| Earthworks | C.8.3.1 | NES - Part 3 |
| Vegetation areas | C.8.4.2 | NES - Part 3 |
Information resources on NRC website
| Activity | Proposed Plan rule | National Standards |
| Feedlots and stockholding areas | NES Subpart 1 |
Information resources on NRC website
| Activity | Proposed Plan rule | National Standards |
| Agricultural intensification | NES Subpart 2 |
Agricultural intensification can lead to higher levels of nutrients, sediment and microbial contamination in our rivers, lakes, wetlands and groundwater.
As of 1 January 2025, the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater (NES-F) rules relating to agricultural intensification have been revoked by central government. This means that resource consent is no longer required under NES-F for land use intensification. Please contact us if you have any questions.
| Activity | Proposed Plan rule | National Standards |
| Application of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser on pastoral land | NES Subpart 4 |
Information resources on NRC website