Key draft rule changes
Ngā panonitanga ture hukihuki matua
The draft Freshwater Plan Change includes a first cut of draft rules for improving freshwater. Alongside the draft Freshwater Plan Change is a draft Action Plan that sets out what Northland Regional Council could do to support efforts to improve freshwater.
Key draft rule changes are described below.
Te Taitokerau has a lot of steep country and erodible soils. Along with erosion of stream banks, these are the biggest source areas for sediment entering streams and rivers. Removing vegetation and land disturbance by earthworks can lead to increased erosion.
We already have rules about earthworks and land preparation on erosion-prone land, but they don’t cover vegetation clearance or access by stock animals.
Key draft rule changes
New maps
We are looking at options to update maps of land vulnerable to erosion. We’ve developed two new draft maps:
- Land at high risk of erosion (25°-35° slope)
- Land at severe risk of erosion (>35° slope).
New draft rules
| Draft rule | More information |
| We’re considering new rules limiting vegetation clearance, land preparation and earthworks in areas of high erosion risk, with tighter controls applied to these activities in areas with severe erosion risk. | See draft Freshwater Plan Change, Sections C.8.2 Land preparation, C.8.3 Earthworks, and C.8.4 Vegetation clearance in riparian areas and foredune management areas. |
| We’re considering new rules requiring stock to be excluded from areas of both high and severe erosion risk. | Learn more: See "Should stock exclusion rules apply to highly erodible land?" |
We need to look at options for how far away from waterways stock should be kept.
There are already rules for keeping stock out of waterways, but they don’t cover many streams in steeper areas, which contribute a lot of sediment and E. coli. These streams are also important habitats for native species.
Furthermore, the existing rules also do not provide enough space for riparian vegetation to establish around waterways.
There are various types of discharges to freshwater, such as stormwater runoff and dairy farm effluent. We can put greater controls on discharges – to avoid them altogether or to ensure any discharges get the best treatment possible before reaching waterways.
Key draft rule changes
| Draft rule | More information |
| All dairy effluent discharges to land would need resource consent. | See draft Freshwater Plan Change, Section C.6.3 Production land discharges. |
| Prohibiting new farm dairy effluent discharge to water and stricter requirements for renewal of existing consents. | See draft Freshwater Plan Change, Section C.6.3 Production land discharges. |
| Prohibiting new wastewater treatment plant discharges to water and stricter requirements for renewal of existing consents. | See draft Freshwater Plan Change, Section C.6.2 Wastewater Network and Treatment Plant Discharges. |
| Prohibiting domestic wastewater discharges to waterways. | See draft Freshwater Plan Change, Section C.6.1 On-site Domestic Wastewater Discharges. |
Wetlands trap sediment and contaminants before they reach streams and rivers. They also soak up water during floods and provide sources of water during droughts, and they are important habitats for many native species. Northland has lost nearly all our natural wetlands (94.5%)1, and increasing wetland area is vital as well as improving the health of the few we have remaining.
1 Forest & Bird (2018). World Wetlands Day: Forest & Bird release maps showing extent of wetlands crisis: www.forestandbird.org.nz/resources/world-wetlands-day-forest-bird-release-maps-showing-extent-wetlands-crisis
Exotic forests can affect sensitive waterbodies such as high-value dune lakes by reducing the amount of water they receive. The harvest of plantation forests can result in sediment loss to waterways.
Key draft rule changes
| Draft rule | More information |
| Require larger setbacks for exotic carbon and plantation forestry from waterways. | See draft Freshwater Plan Change, Section C.8.4.4. Afforestation and replanting plantation forestry – permitted activity. |
| Require resource consent for plantation forestry and exotic carbon forests in high-value dune lake catchments. | See draft Freshwater Plan Change, Section C.8.4.4. Afforestation and replanting plantation forestry – permitted activity. |
In line with the National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management, we’ve committed to improving the way we involve and support tāngata whenua in looking after freshwater, and to recognising Māori values in our decision-making about water.
Key draft rule changes
| Draft rule | More information |
| Add requirements for resource consent applicants to assess cultural impacts that affect tāngata whenua values for freshwater. | See draft Freshwater Plan Change, Section D.1. Tāngata whenua. |
When we allocate water, we need to provide for the wellbeing of the waterway and recognise the special relationship tāngata whenua have with water.
Key draft rule changes
| Draft rule | More information |
| We are considering setting aside 20% of unallocated water to be used for environmental enhancement, marae and papakainga, or developing Māori land. | Learn more: Targeted Water allocation Policy |
You can find out more about the draft rule changes in the draft Freshwater Plan Change document.