YOUR LEVY AT WORK
YOUR LEVY AT WORK INDUSTRY WIDE ISSUES FOR INDUSTRY GOOD
Natural resources and environment Air Northland Regional Plan – Environment Court Hearing The provisions within the proposed Northland Regional Plan prevent any spraying within 100m of a spray-sensitive area, when the wind direction is towards that area. Our position is that the wording of the current rule is too blunt and would prevent spraying when in practice the effects can be safely managed using good management practices. Throughout 2020 Horticulture New Zealand attended mediations in Northland regarding rules to manage potential effects from agrichemical application. Not all matters were able to be resolved in mediation, and so the matter is proceeding to the Environment Court. The hearing will be in April. The HortNZ team will present planning, spatial and agrichemical expert witness evidence. Ngaruroro Water Conservation Order – Environment Court Hearing In 2019 a special tribunal granted a Water Conservation Order for the upper Ngaruroro river. The Water Conservation Order required the upper river be managed in its natural state. HortNZ did not appeal the decision. But the decision was appealed by a number of parties. White Water Rafting NZ and Forest and Bird’s appeal sought that a Water Conservation Order also apply to the lower river. HortNZ joined the appeal in support of Hawke’s Bay Regional Council. HortNZ’s primary concern is that we do not support a Water Conservation Order being applied to the lower river.
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The ORCHARDIST : FEBRUARY 2021
Over the past year HortNZ and experts have been involved in mediation and conferencing. Matters have not been resolved between parties. A hearing is being held in February. The HortNZ team has prepared planning, recreational, water quality, hydrological, ecological and economic expert witness evidence.
Throughout 2020 Horticulture New Zealand attended mediations in Northland regarding rules to manage potential effects from agrichemical application Otago Regional Plan Change 7 (Water permits) – Environment Court Hearing Otago Regional Council has proposed a plan change to the Regional Plan: for the replacement of deemed permits with water permits, and for the replacement of any water permits expiring prior to 2025. The plan change has immediate legal effect. This is because it deals with water, and under the RMA, any applications for a water permit also have to give consideration to a plan change. HortNZ lodged an industry submission and is currently preparing planning and hydrological expert witness evidence, which is due in February.
