Ministers back farmers on concerns about ‘unbearable’ PC1 rules

Thursday, 25 June 2026

One minister has called new restrictions facing Waikato farmers “a fatal blow to the cost of living”, while another met with a colleague to plead the cockies’ case.

At the heart of the concerns is Plan Change 1 (PC1), which aims to improve Waikato river health and water quality.

After 13 years of legal wrangling and an Environment Court ruling the plan is all but finalised. However, Federated Farmers has urged the Government to pause it amidst major local government and RMA reforms.

At the Primary Industries NZ Summit, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Shane Jones said the potential regulations could be “unbearable” for farmers, while Agriculture Minister Todd McClay expressed apprehension over the rules being developed under an old system.

Jones felt PC1 could place further pressure on the cost of living and felt it was unnecessary given that the RMA changes could make it redundant.

“I think it spells the death of veggie farmers in the Waikato. It’s a burden on growers and represents a fatal blow to the cost of living.

“The existence of Plan 1 is a mistake. It is disconnected from what should be the major concern for the Waikato and that’s economic viability … For several months of the year, the supply of food depends on the provision of vegetables out of the Waikato.”

He believed that the cost and restraints of PC1 could limit food production and lead to increased importation, adding pressure in a cost of living crisis.

“There’s no-one in our government who is disinterested in improving the quality of the Waipa and Waikato rivers, but no environmental project can be funded if you’re bankrupting the main contributor to your economy.

“Something has gone seriously wrong, and expecting the regional council to take account of the cost of living is akin to asking a drunkard to run an AA session.”

He said NZ First would support any options that ministers Chris Bishop and McClay came up with. He also believed the plan needed to be rolled out over 15 years to give farmers confidence that they could afford the changes and “more importantly that the country can afford it”. Currently, the council anticipates a five-year staged roll out.

In a speech, McClay said that he had met with Bishop this week to “make a case for Waikato farmers”.

“It does not make sense to have a new national planning system adopted by Parliament before the election, while the Waikato remains subject to rules developed under the old system.

“Minister Bishop will instruct officials to provide advice on options to better align rule-making in the Waikato with the replaced RMA.”

The RMA is set to be replaced by the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill to simplify consenting and create a clearer national direction.

McClay noted the work already done under the RMA Amendment Act to remove “prescriptive winter grazing consents”, shift stock exclusion to a risk-based approach and integrate farm environment plans with freshwater requirements.

“This is not about removing environmental standards; it is about making them workable and practical so that farmers can focus on production while delivering genuine environmental outcomes.”

In a statement Bishop confirmed that he had “asked for advice on PC1”, describing it as “highly complicated”.

“We are replacing the RMA with new legislation, which will mean a new regional plan will be developed, alongside new national policy direction and national standards, so we clearly need to consider it in that context.”

This comes after the recent announcement that the Environment Court directed Waikato Regional Council to make 20 changes to finalise details of PC1, which will limit what farmers and growers can do on their land within the Waikato and Waipā river catchments.

In a statement, Waikato Regional Council Chief Executive, Chris McLay, said the council was aware of comments from Federated farmers and ministers, but they remained focused on meeting the July 21 deadline.

“Our priority is to ensure that implementation is practical, evidence-based, gives effect to the court’s guidance and is undertaken in partnership with industry bodies.

“We remain committed to working with all parties, including the primary sector, iwi and central government, to achieve a balanced and durable outcome for the river and its catchments.”

He added that the current legislative process did not provide for PC1 to be paused, and they were awaiting the final legalisation and promised national direction.

Federated Farmers Waikato vice president Andrew Reymer said he was encouraged by the ministers acknowledgement of the situation.

'We've repeatedly said that it makes no sense to continue with Plan Change 1 while the Government is reforming the resource management system.

'We’re grateful to Ministers Jones and McClay for standing up and assuring Waikato farmers they not only recognise the problem, but that they intend to do something about it.”

PC1 is geared towards reducing nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment and bacterial contamination entering rivers with the long-term goal to restore water quality.

Among other things, this would be achieved through farm registration with council, farm environment plans, stock exclusion from waterways, land use change controls and resource consents for higher risk farms.

If finalised, over 400 farmers in the Whangamarino Wetland and Lake Waikare sub-catchments to be the first to operate under the new policy and be subject to discretionary consents for existing farming activities, causing concern in the area.