Intensive winter grazing

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If you need to practice intensive winter grazing (IWG), it’s important to plan ahead, ensure your approach meets the national legal requirements and follow the rules for our region.

Regulations to better control the impacts of intensive winter grazing took effect on 1 November 2022.

Further details can be found on this Ministry for the Environment factsheet.

Why were the regulations introduced?

These regulations are found in the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater 2020, and form part of the government’s essential freshwater package, which aims to protect and improve our rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands, and estuaries.

Poor management of livestock grazing on winter forage crops risks increased soil and nutrient loss, which can result in the degradation of freshwater ecosystems.

Getting IWG right will help you reduce nutrient and sediment run-off whilst supporting improved soil productivity and the welfare of your livestock.

Do they apply to me?

The regulations apply to the grazing of annual forage crops between 1 May and 30 September, starting from the 2023 season, on farms with:

5 hectares or more of horticulture land use, or
20 hectares or more of pastoral or arable land use, or
20 hectares or more of a combination of any of these land uses.

Can I continue winter grazing as I have in previous years?

The regulations are designed to limit the expansion winter grazing land. In practice, this means that, if you caried out IWG on your farm between 2014 and 2019 (the reference period), you can continue to do so providing the area you are farming is no greater than the maximum area used for IWG during that reference period, and you comply with the permitted activity requirements or have a certified freshwater farm plan in place.

What does the Government’s recent announcement on the future of the intensive winter grazing (IWG) regulations mean?

The Government has announced its intention to put forward a bill focusing on targeted changes to the resource management system. The bill would seek, among other things, to repeal the regulations restricting IWG. The Government anticipates these changes will be in place in time for the 2025 IWG season.

Until these changes are confirmed, the existing requirements of farmers undertaking IWG remain in place. Our expectation is that farmers will continue to carefully manage their activity, taking a risk-based approach that reflects local circumstances while utilising best practice. This builds on the great work farmers have done to date in improving on-farm practice, including through the use of farm plans, to support improved freshwater outcomes.

IWG is only one of many regulated activities that may occur on farm in this region. Waikato Regional Council will continue to take a risk-based approach to its compliance activities, focusing on those farming businesses whose poor practice is contributing to adverse environmental effects.

Farmers should already have a plan for winter management of stock in 2023. If you aren’t expanding your winter grazing and you meet the following permitted activity requirements, you can continue to practice IWG without a resource consent.
- The intensive winter grazing area is no larger than 50ha or 10 per cent (whichever is greater); and
- The slope of the paddock is less than 10 degrees, measured over any 20m distance; and
- Livestock are kept at least 5m away from river, lake, wetland or drain; and
- All critical source areas are excluded from grazing and vegetation is maintained.
Additionally, standards must be met to ensure:</p
- The effects of pugging are minimised; and
- Vegetation is established as soon as practicable after grazing has finished.
Please note that this information represents a summary of the requirements. More detailed information, including the NES-Freshwater 2020, can be found here.
Once available, freshwater farm plans will provide an alternative pathway for continued management of IWG as a permitted activity (without resource consent).

They will support a more risk-based, tailored approach, helping you to identify practical actions on farm to mitigate impacts on freshwater.

This option can only be used if your IWG activity is not expanding, and the freshwater farm plan is certified as achieving outcomes equivalent to those achieved under the permitted activity requirements.

Alternatively, you may apply for a resource consent.

For those farmers that wish to apply for resource consent, or have any further questions about the consent process, please submit a request to our consents team and we'll be in touch to discuss your options.

Where can I find out more about best practice?

We encourage farmers who carry out IWG as an existing part of their business to follow best practice by referring to this MPI IWG module.

The Ministry for the Environment has also produced the following technical guidance around pugging, groundcover, and critical source areas.

This guidance is intended for farm advisors but may be of interest to farmers as it is intended to compliment farmer-focused Intensive Winter Grazing Module.