The farming community is breathing a collective sigh of relief over the Government's announcement to hit the pause button on freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised.

Mid Canterbury Catchment Collective (MCCC) coordinator Angela Cushnie supports a "carrot not stick approach" and says regulation should enable more of the "good stuff" happening inside the farm gate while also acknowledging the grassroots change that has been happening for a long time.

"There was nothing in the legislation coming through that said well done to all the early adopters and leaders."

The Government has indicated it will work with the sector, iwi, and regional councils to simplify requirements and enable more local catchment-level solutions.

"Most landowners are already using a farm environment plan or some type of supplier assurance programme and are benchmarking their progress this way," Cushnie said.

Cushnie said that across the MCCC community, the focus has been on developing Catchment Action Plans and implementing enduring change that will result in "sustainable environmental outcomes".

"Within our nine catchment groups, members are thinking beyond regulation in terms of improving water quality and enhancing ecosystem health."

Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard said improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for the Government.  

"Freshwater farm plans support farmers in managing freshwater risks, but the current system is too costly and not fit for purpose.

"We have heard the concerns of the sector, and Cabinet has agreed to pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans while potential changes are considered."

Hoggard said minor amendments to the Resource Management Act (RMA) will enable the pause.

"Once these amendments are made, farmers will not be required to submit a freshwater farm plan for certification while changes to the freshwater farm plan system are underway.

"We want freshwater farm plans to acknowledge the good work many farmers are already doing.

"The key thing for farmers is to make a start and keep up their efforts – their work will not be wasted."

Federated Farmers says pressing pause on the rollout of freshwater farm plans until improvements can be made is a practical and pragmatic step by the Government.

"Farmers across the country will be breathing a sigh of relief that common sense has finally prevailed with farm plans," says Federated Farmers freshwater spokesperson Colin Hurst.

"There's been a huge amount of uncertainty hanging over farmers heads for the last year, with many wondering what's happening."

Hurst said farmers are not opposed  to farm plans as long as they are   "practical, cost-effective and easy to use."

"Unfortunately, the system put in place by the previous Government was nothing short of a bureaucratic birds' nest for farmers that failed on all three counts," Hurst says.

"They took a really good concept that had widespread buy-in from farmers and the wider primary sector and made it completely unworkable and unaffordable."

Hurst said the prospect of a five-figure bill for a new farm plan eroded a lot of goodwill from farmers, particularly those who already had a perfectly good plan in place.

More than 10,000 farmers already have some form of farm plan through their milk processor, meat processor or regional council requirements.

Hurst said none of those existing plans would have been recognised under the current regulations.

DairyNZ has also welcomed the announcement, with chairperson Jim van der Poel saying the pause "makes sense" and will be particularly welcomed by farmers and regional councils in areas where Freshwater Plan Plans have started, including parts of Waikato, Southland, the West Coast, Otago, and Manawatū-Whanganui.

"It has been our long-standing position that the current system could be improved to reduce cost and complexity and better acknowledge the environmental progress farmers and the wider dairy sector are making.

"Van der Poel said DairyNZ will continue to work with dairy companies to provide a dairy perspective while regulations are reviewed.

"We will continue to work with the government to progress a workable and enduring solution."

By Claire Inkson