1. ECan approaches to managing nutrient losses to groundwater

2. Proposed Natural Resources Regional Plan Proposed Natural Resources Regional Plan Land & water chapters notified – July 2004 3 objectives – numerical water quality outcomes –Groundwater: Maintain high quality groundwater < 2mg/L N above max. conc. measured between 1996 & 2001 & not exceed 11.3 N mg/L –Community water sources: < 5.6 N mg/L A mix of methods –Regulation –Education –Investigations

3. Regulation under the RMA – a hierarchy of controls through regional rules

4. Permitted Controlled Discretionary Non- Prohibited Permitted Controlled Discretionary Non- Prohibited

5. Regulation Regional rules – more stringent conditions, e.g. discharge animal effluent to land domestic wastewater systems construction of bores – more activities covered by rules. e.g. feed pads effluent storage ponds reticulated sewerage networks –apply to new activities commencing after date of plan notification Review of existing resource consents – land discharges from processing plants

6. Threshold 2 Threshold 1 Best management practices required No action required Reduction in nitrate leaching required Nutrient budget mandatory Nitrate leaching concentration in soil drainage water (mgL -1 NO 3 -N) 16 8 0 A new approach – controls on the use of land that may result in the discharge of nitrate into gw

7. Nitrate leaching rule cont. Landowner takes responsibility for managing nitrate leaching Estimate average annual N0 3 loss below rooting zone for the property Requires a nutrient management model Comes into effect when plan is operative

8. Plan implementation issues – nitrate leaching rule Promote the new rule – information on best management practices – workshops, e.g. farm advisors, farming groups Compliance monitoring – which areas or land uses, and how often? – improving staff skills & knowledge Nutrient management models – plan does not prescribe a specific model – ECan contributing to the development of a nutrient model for arable farming

9. Education and advocacy Promote best management practices – Pasture management –Timing of cultivation –Nitrification inhibitors –Adoption of codes of practice –Whole-farm nutrient management systems Work with landowners to improve groundwater quality