North Canterbury nitrate reductions may cause financial ruin, some farmers say

Saturday, 24 August 2019

Large-scale irrigation projects are likely to be a thing of the past. (Video first published in August 2018)

Unrelenting and unreasonable nitrate reduction demands will drive dairy farmers to bankruptcy, a group of North Canterbury irrigators fear.

Ben McKerchar of Larundel Dairy Partnership at West Eyreton says draconian proposed nitrate cuts beyond 2030 will result in some dairy farmers 'going to the wall'.

The staged reductions are proposed in Environment Canterbury's (ECan) 'plan change 7' of the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan, now out for consultation.

Waimakariri Irrigation Ltd shareholders have significant concerns about aspects of Environment Canterbury's plan change 7, particularly nitrate level reductions and the modelling of water quality. They talked to Stuff at Larundel Dairy Farm at West Eyreton this week. From left: Graeme Sutton, Andy Gilchrist (partially obscured), Craig McAllister, Victoria Traynor and 2-year-old Maella, Brent Walton, Ben McKerchar and Geoff Spark.

There are concerns nitrates could travel under the bed of the Waimakariri River and increase nitrate levels in Christchurch's drinking water.

**READ MORE:

The 200 Waimakariri Irrigation Ltd shareholders say setting nitrate reduction targets much further than a decade ahead may be a wasted effort given likely changes in science and technology over that time.

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Environment Canterbury councillor Lan Pham believes proposed plan changes do not go far enough to protect Christchurch's drinking water from nitrates.

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ECan councillor Lan Pham considers the plan change does not go far enough to ensure the city's water is protected

A group of Waimakariri Irrigation Ltd shareholders met Stuff to discuss their concerns with the proposed plan change.

Nitrate reductions in an Environment Canterbury plan will be too hard to meet and stay in business, some dairy farmers say.

As well as nitrates, they are unhappy with the modelling the nitrates reduction scheme is based on and that farming is being held accountable for the full extent of the required cuts.

They said the nitrates could be historic and coming from other sources such as the Canterbury foothills.

They also think setting targets beyond 10 years makes little sense, given science and technology will progress in that time and offer new solutions.

McKerchar told Stuff his 625ha operation on Tram Rd on the northern bank of the Waimakariri River had been working towards the 'baseline good management practice (GMP) standard for 10 years'.

Larundel was in sub-zone area E as determined in the plan change, the zone requiring the biggest reductions in nitrates, with a 15 per cent drop by January 1, 2030, 30 per cent by the same date in 2040, 45 per cent by 2050, 60 per cent by 2060, 75 per cent by 2070 and 90 per cent by 2080.

'Our farm is at the front of the pack. For our farm to get to GMP we have invested $2 million, but some people are still finding their way.

'With 15 per cent by 2030, that's a bit to digest but we're relatively confident we can manage that. Going out to 30 per cent by 2040, there'll be extreme amounts of pressure on businesses and some going to the wall.

'We all want to be better. [But the plan change] could drive a wedge into our community.'

Dairy farmer Geoff Spark said the proposed nitrate reductions were a huge obstacle for farmers, especially those in sub-zone E with the toughest targets.

'It's like a big brick wall put in front of farmers. We all want to do the right thing, but we all have families and communities we want to stay in.

'If we haven't got viable businesses, what happens to the community? There's a big trickle-down effect.

'We need to protect the productivity of this land. Of course we have to do it in an environmentally friendly way, but the population is growing and people need to keep eating.'

WIL chief executive Brent Walton said improvements could only happen with reductions in farm nitrogen losses and larger-scale catchment projects, such as recharging aquifers from the Waimakariri and replenishing streams and wetlands with water from elsewhere.

Not one of the 200 shareholders wanted to be responsible for increased nitrate levels, he said.

Cantabrians have until September 13 to make submissions on two complex plan changes - the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan and the Waimakariri River Regional Plan - that aim to eventually reduce nitrate levels, improve drinking water quality and provide cleaner waterways for fish and other aquatic species.

ECan has previously endorsed a recommendation by the Waimakariri water zone committee for a 3.8mg per litre level of nitrates for the Christchurch supply and said it was a 'reduction goal' for areas with higher levels.

Current average nitrate concentrations in the Christchurch community supply's wells that are more than 80m deep are 0.6mg/l.