An experiment is getting underway in the Lake Taupo catchment designed to help clean up the water quality.
The growing intensity of farming over the last fifty years has resulted in growing nitrogen levels in the lake. Nitrogen often takes years to leach through the ground into the watertable and then into the lake. Sometimes it can take fifty years to go through the system. A lot of work has gone on over the last decade fencing waterways and improving practices but the problem will always be a long term one.
Variation 5 to the Waikato Regional Plan involves capping output by best year farm data from 2001 to 2005. Farms then get a nitrogen discharge allowance (NDA) which will over a period of time be reduced. That forces them to make further improvements.
I think it is a model worth watching very carefully. If it works it could be used for the Waikato.
Hopefully so, and hopefully those dirty farm practices that are ruining our waterways will come to an end.
I thought the Rotorua lakes were a more critical state. Presumable the scientific advice is much the same, so is the political process giving up the same solution as Taupo.
How are the NDAs allocated, and are they tradable?
@gww Rotorua are and there is a very active and developing clean up programme underway. From memory we put in $30m over a few years when I was in the sin bin and was Min for Env. Whereas Taupo it is more a matter of getting in before it deteriorates.
@rainman – allocated on 2001 – 2005 stocking levels and yes they will be tradeable.
the Greens have lost their way .. our local enviromental issues should be their focus (as with the main parties as well of course).
Trevor
I just discovered this historic thread on Variation 5. Are you aware that variation 5 has become a big issue for small block holders. Issues during development of V5 have lead to a situation where the regional authority are now forcing regulation onto small block holders very unjustly. If you are interested I would like to send you further, what e-mail address should I use ??