Our policy and advocacy work for farmers

Overview

Our current advocacy and policy work is focused on five key areas. These priorities have been identified by dairy farmers as issues that are top of mind and require urgent attention. The five areas are:

Scroll down for more detailed information on each of the five priorities.

1. Resource management reform

DairyNZ seeks resource management legislation that enables innovation and balances economic development and sustainable environmental management. We want enduring legislation that can survive multiple election cycles to provide farmers with the certainty they need to invest and innovate.

The Government’s Resource Management Act (RMA) reform process is in three phases:

1. Repeal of the Natural and Built Environment Act and Spatial Planning Act (completed in December 2023).
2. Targeted changes to the existing resource management system including;
   1. Introduction of the Fast-track Approvals Bill.
   2. Two bills to amend the RMA.
3. Comprehensive legislation to replace the RMA, with the aim of introducing and passing this legislation before the next election.

Progress update

The Government has completed Phase 1 and Phase 2 is in progress. The targeted changes have included:

• Introducing the Fast-track Approvals Act - the bill was passed into law in December 2024.
• The Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill, passed into law in October 2024.This included several changes directly affecting farmers, including:
  • Repealing national intensive winter grazing regulations for the 2025 season (note regional regulations will still apply).
  • Repealing the low slope map and associated requirements from stock exclusion regulations.
  • Suspending the requirement for councils to identify Significant Natural Areas for three years.
  • Excluding the ‘Te Mana o te Wai’ hierarchy of obligations from consideration in resource consenting.
  • Pausing regional implementation of national freshwater policy until there is a new National Policy Statement in place.
• Introducing the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill. This is currently proceeding through the legislative process. Key proposed changes include:
  • Expanded Ministerial powers in relation to regional council functions.
  • Providing for industry approved organisations (IAO) to act as certifiers and auditors of Freshwater Farm Plans.
  • Changes that clarify regional councils can allow discharges to water in overallocated catchments as permitted activities.
  • Enabling regional councils to charge for the monitoring of permitted activities.
  • Streamlining of some consenting and hearing processes.
  • Expanded criteria to call in consents.

DairyNZ supported some of these proposals but opposed others. These positions are outlined in our submission.

Phase 3 began in late 2024. An independent Resource Management Expert Advisory Group released a blueprint to inform the Government’s full reform of the RMA and the Government has responded. The intent is to have replacement legislation drafted by the end of 2025 and in place by the end of 2026. DairyNZ is advocating for the dairy sector throughout the reform process.

2. Improving freshwater policy

DairyNZ is committed to helping improve freshwater outcomes across all dairy catchments, building off the great work farmers have already been doing.

The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 (NPS-FM) does not sufficiently recognise the importance of primary production. We seek:

• A freshwater policy framework focused on defining and achieving environmental and human health outcomes at a catchment level rather than numerical limits.
• A renewed focus on catchment scale action plans with regulatory and non-regulatory actions, supporting science-based, catchment and farm scale actions that deliver environmental and human health outcomes.
• Updates to the existing regulations for Freshwater Farm Plans (FWFPs) to enable them to be a practical tool within this catchment- and actions-focused framework, and to recognise existing industry-led farm environment plans that meet specific requirements.
• With these updates, FWFPs could play a critical role as an alternative to consents or general rules.

Our advocacy over the past few years has sought change at national and local government levels on these issues and others, for example, regulations relating to stock exclusion, winter grazing, and use of nitrogen fertiliser.

Progress update

The Government is consulting on a package of national policy reform, including freshwater, during mid-2025. DairyNZ’s extensive work in this space means we are well-positioned to respond.

These changes will inform regional planning processes. Regional councils must wait for a new NPS-FM or until the end of 2025, whichever comes first, before notifying regional freshwater plans.

During this pause, we will continue to work with regional councils to improve their evidence base and encourage further engagement with farmers and catchment groups. For a summary, see our regional advocacy pages.

DairyNZ will continue engaging with Ministers, officials, dairy companies, Beef + Lamb NZ, and Federated Farmers to shape changes to national freshwater policy. This remains a priority. For more on our efforts, see this summary.

3. Climate targets

DairyNZ is committed to dairy farming playing its part in transitioning to a low-emissions economy alongside the rest of New Zealand. See our climate pages for more information.

We are advocating for fair and scientifically robust emissions targets that account for the warming impact of methane. See our climate change advocacy page for more information.

Progress update

• Report tabled in December 2024 by the independent panel set up to review the methane targets for consistency with no additional warming from agriculture recommended a revised target range of 14-15%-24%. DairyNZ has urged a swift response from the Government.
• The climate change legislation has been amended to remove agricultural obligations from the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
• The Government has published its Emissions Reduction Plan covering the period 2026-2030. This reinforces the Government’s commitment to finding technological solutions for farmers and its promise that a system for pricing on-farm emissions will not be introduced until 2030.

4. Gene technology reform

The Government is reviewing New Zealand’s genetic technology rules, which are now more than 25 years old. It tabled a Gene Technology Bill in December 2024, aiming to make it easier to test and use gene technologies, while still ensuring strong protections for human health and the environment.

A Select Committee process is underway. DairyNZ lodged a submission in February and presented to Select Committee in March, alongside other primary sector submitters. Select Committee will report back to Government in late July 2025. Final legislation is expected to be passed by the end of 2025, with the new regulator in place in 2026.

For DairyNZ’s submission on the Bill and other information, see our page on genetic technology reform.

5. Regulatory reform

Progress update

The Government’s Agricultural and Horticultural Products Regulatory Review looked at the approval process for new products under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) and Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Acts. DairyNZ submitted feedback concerning restrictions to research and test potential greenhouse gas mitigation solutions for dairy farmers, and constraints on accessing biosecurity, animal health and welfare risk management tools for emerging pests and diseases. Cabinet has accepted all 16 of the Ministry for Regulation’s recommendations to cut red tape on agricultural and horticultural products, with faster access to new products expected to lift primary sector productivity and growth.

Other issues

DairyNZ is also actively involved in policy work relating to biosecurity.

On other critical issues, like rural banking reform and workforce development, we work closely with sector partners like Federated Farmers to ensure better outcomes for dairy farmers.