How Our Collective Strength Helps Shape Practical Regional Policy

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How our collective strength helps shape practical regional policy | Ep. 106

15d ago 34:19

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Regional rules might feel like they’re made a long way from the farm gate – yet they directly affect how you farm every day. From nutrient limits to land use rules, the decisions made at your regional council table can change what you can and can’t do on-farm.

In this episode, you’ll hear from some of DairyNZ’s regional policy team – David Cooper, Carina Ross, and Shaun Hazelton – on the big changes happening in policy right now and why your voice matters in these processes.

Hear how DairyNZ is collaborating and working for dairy farmers to make sure rules are informed by research and grounded in reality, and how that protects your ability to farm productively and sustainably into the future.

Since we recorded this episode, there’s been a win for farmers on two issues that DairyNZ has been advocating behind the scenes on:

1. More common-sense rules for low-risk activities
The government has changed the Resource Management Act so regional councils can set rules that let some low-risk farm activities go ahead without needing a consent, as long as they still help improve water quality over time. This means councils like Waikato and Southland can follow through on their original plans to keep things simple for low-risk activities, instead of farmers getting caught in unnecessary red tape.

2. Breathing space for Otago water permits
In Otago, some water permits will now be automatically extended for five more years. They’ve also removed rules around certain discharges that simply couldn’t be put into practice. This takes pressure off until the new regional plan is in place – meaning farmers can keep operating without being stuck in limbo.

Why it matters
These changes are a direct result of ongoing advocacy from DairyNZ and others. They give farmers more certainty, reduce paperwork, and mean the rules better reflect the realities on-farm – all while keeping the focus on improving water quality for the long term.

For more information about DairyNZ’s advocacy work for dairy farmers, visit these links:

Our policy and advocacy work for farmers | DairyNZ

Resource management reform | DairyNZ

Regional freshwater advocacy - DairyNZ | DairyNZ

Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected]

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Chapters

1. Introduction (00:00:00)

2. What is regional policy and why it matters (00:02:48)

3. A week in the life of a policy planner (00:04:27)

4. Government pause on regional planning: What it means (00:07:09)

5. DairyNZ's role in Waikato Plan Change 1 (00:10:07)

6. DairyNZ's role in Southland Water and Land Plan (00:14:39)

7. Bringing science-based farming knowledge into council spaces (00:19:04)

8. Common policy issues and how DairyNZ pushes back (00:22:17)

9. How farmers can make their voices heard (00:23:54)

10. DairyNZ's point of difference in advocacy (00:26:36)

11. What to do if you're feeling overwhelmed by policy changes (00:28:25)

12. Recording and recognising on-farm work (00:31:35)

13. Episode summary (00:32:14)

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