Waikato Federated Farmers’ fears over Plan Change 1

Thursday, 11 June 2026

Federated Farmers Waikato region president Chris Woolerton said farmers feared they would lose control over their own properties after the introduction of Plan Change 1.

After 13 years of legal wrangling, a landmark plan to improve water quality in the Waikato and Waipā rivers is about to be finalised - but the region’s farmers are far from happy.

This week, the Environment Court directed Waikato Regional Council to make 20 changes to finalise details of Plan Change 1 (PC1) which will limit what farmers and growers can do on their land within the Waikato and Waipā river catchments.

PC1 sets some lofty goals, and is designed to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment and bacterial contamination entering the rivers, with the long-term goal of restoring water quality, and improving swimming and food gathering opportunities.

Former regional councillor, farmer, and Waikato River Authority co-chair Stu Kneebone says the plan is a ‘milestone for river restoration’.

The plan is considered the first step in an 80-year programme, and allows for new rules to manage both discharges from a fixed point (such as sewage from towns and waste from factories) and more diffuse discharges linked to agriculture.

The plan’s lauded by those with an environmental focus but it’s got farmers worried about losing power on their own land, and a regional councillor predicts a big economic impact.

Federated Farmers Waikato region president Chris Woolerton said the ruling is “not pleasant”, and “not a good fit” for farmers who are concerned they will lose control of their properties, and were “being told how to farm”.

Woolerton said the farming sector was still working through hundreds of pages of legal and technical documents, but his initial reaction was one of frustration.

'There's going to be a lot of angry people,' he said.

The plan change could help reduce toxic algal blooms in hydro lakes such as Lake Maraetai.

Woolerton said PC1 will place significant new pressures on farmers already facing increasing compliance requirements, and there was considerable uncertainty about how the rules would affect farm businesses in practice.

He said farmers had expected a gradual transition to the new regulatory regime but feared the final outcome could force change too quickly.

'It was meant to be a slow gradual burn, and now it's turned into a brush fire.'

Woolerton said the decision failed to recognise the environmental improvements many farmers had already made during the plan’s development.

'We've improved, we've learned, we've heard, we have changed. We've come on board and I don't think any of that's taken into consideration.

Waikato Regional councillor Chris Hughes is not fan of the plan, and says it will have significant negative effects on the region’s economy.

'Waikato is the bread basket of New Zealand and effectively they're trying to hamstring us,' he said.

The regional council has until July 21 to make changes to PC1, with the council’s science, policy and information director Tracey May saying “it gives us a stronger foundation for implementation, including the emphasis on practical guidance and support for farmers and growers”.

Appeals of the court’s decision are limited to matters of law, and can only be made to the High Court.

However, the Waikato River Authority says the ruling is a “milestone for river restoration”.

Co-chairperson Stu Kneebone said the decision reinforced the importance of Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato (the Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River) as the guiding framework for restoring the river for future generations.

It is hoped that Plan Change 1 will reduce the impact of pest species, fertilisers, and other pollutants entering the Waikato and Waipā rivers.

'The river did not become degraded overnight and it will not be restored overnight.

“What is important is that progress continues and that we keep moving forward together.'

Regional councillor Chris Hughes said PC1 would “be very damaging to our Waikato economy, and also to New Zealand Inc”.

He said earlier PC1 economic modelling estimated a short-term negative impact of about 16% on the region’s economy, rising to 18% over time.

Hughes said the effects would be felt particularly by dairy farmers and vegetable growers, largely because of restrictions relating to nitrogen losses.

Taupō District Council Mangakino-Pouākani Ward councillor Hope Woodward says Plan Change 1 would go a long way to restoring communities such as Mangakino and Whakamaru.

“I'm a great believer in doing what you can to look after the environment … there's a huge amount of investment being made in that area … farmers and growers are doing everything they can.”

Taupō District Council Mangakino-Pouākani Ward councillor Hope Woodward says PC1 would help restore water quality at hydro lakes in the region, and in turn, help save places such as Mangakino and Whakamaru.

'I'm incredibly ecstatic that this has finally happened,' she said.

'This plan change is going to be fantastic, but not for another 20-odd years. We're not really going to see the effects straight away,.

'So we've still got to encourage the change right now, but it is important to celebrate these wins.'

She said the challenge would be turning regulation into action.

'It's all very well and good to make this law, but it's now up to everybody else to take action, and that can sometimes be the hardest thing,' she said.

'It might be a little bit of a lifesaver for the future … but at the end of the day, if we don't have water, we're gone.'

Waikato-Tainui Te Arataura chairperson Tukoroirangi Morgan said the decision confirms that Te Ture Whaimana is not symbolic, “ensuring that the health and wellbeing of the river remains paramount”.

“The Waikato River Settlement was intended to provide long-term certainty and a durable framework for restoring the health and wellbeing of the river.

“That expectation remains unchanged.”