The end of 2025 brought news of a huge amount of proposed change in the resource management space – too much to cover in one article. The article I drafted last month focussed on the overhaul of the RMA and discussed the replacement laws and what they may mean for farmers. In that article I also provided brief commentary about the Resource Management (Duration of Consents) Amendment Act. This automatically extends the consent expiry date on many consents to two years after the end of the transition period for the new planning system. Based on current expectations, this means most expiring consents will be extended to around 2031. This has widely been seen as positive for farmers and for many this will be the cause of great celebration!
However, we need to be careful about whether to accept the extension of all consents. There will be situations where this will not be the best policy and Aqualinc have already received instructions from some clients that have considered the options and decided to continue with their consent replacement.
For example, there will be situations where some longer-term certainty will be required relating to key activities, such as irrigation. Farmers, banks and investors all need certainty. Because of this, some expiring consents will still need to be renewed under the “old system”. This is highly likely to be the case if the property is being offered for sale.
There are also some risks associated with waiting that need to be considered. Because many of the water resources in Canterbury are considered by the Regional Council to be over-allocated, it is reasonable to expect that gaining access to these resources may get more difficult, or that conditions on access may become more restrictive. It is possible that rules and controls might become tighter than they are now.
Also, because of the dynamic nature of our water resources, there is potential for a new planning regime to allocate water dynamically, with the aim of achieving a better match between the amount of water allocated and the sustainable yield of the resource at a point in time. What this may mean is that when water resources are low, the taking and use of water would need to be restricted in different ways to what consent-holders are currently accustomed to. Some consent holders will already be aware of Adaptively Managed consents, and it is possible (if not likely) that at some stage all water take consents will be managed in an agile or adaptive fashion, for example the availability of groundwater changing from year to year.
If such an allocation regime is imposed, there will be implications upon the reliability of supply. As such, there may be some advantages of continuing to use consents that have a fixed allocation for as long as possible. At least this provides certainty for the duration of the consent and may help prevent having to be the first to have to use a new regime, avoiding any potential teething troubles associated with initial implementation.
Not being forced to renew consents that are expiring is a positive step, however, there are dangers associated with this option in some situations. It will be worth considering whether to take the extension pathway, or to replace expiring consents using the current, well-understood process. The best option will vary from one farm to another and will depend on a number of factors.
If you have consents that will expire in the next few years, or if you want more information about what to consider, then contact your trusted resource management advisor.
ENSO and New Zealand water resources
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The importance of irrigation performance checks.
Performance checks are also important to meet Farm Environment Plan requirements associated with your property land use consent, you need to demonstrate that your irrigation system is designed and operating efficiently.
Far from an average irrigation season
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Do your effluent ponds leak? How do you know?
Most dairy effluent storage pond owners believe that their ponds are not leaking, particularly those that have been synthetically lined.
Measuring Water to Manage it Well
From September 2026, all water takes greater than 5 litres per second will need to be measured and recorded every 15 minutes, and the data telemetered directly to the Regional Council.
Renewing Your Resource Consent
The article I wrote for the last Canterbury Farming publication generated much interest and feedback.
A New Chapter for Farming Resource Consents
The major overhaul of the Resource Management Act (RMA) introduces two replacement laws: the Planning Bill, focused on enabling development and land use, and the Natural Environment Bill, dealing with environmental protection and management.
Understanding Source Water Risk Management Areas (Drinking Water Supply Protection Zones) and What They Mean for Rural Landowners
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Consents – they need your attention!
Consent renewal isn't automatic. Understanding what councils are looking for and getting your application right matters more than ever.
We got off lightly, this time.
In Canterbury we’ve been fortunate to have been spared from the drought conditions that have been experienced over the 2024/25 summer in the top of the South Island and parts of the North Island, although parts of North Canterbury have been very dry at times.
Leaky effluent ponds? Prove it!
One of the drivers for proving that effluent storage ponds are not leaking, is the need for farms to operate at a minimum of Good Management Practice (GMP). Ideally the farming operation should be operating at better than GMP.
Will your irrigation consent be renewed?
Consent holders are now frequently asking questions about the renewal process and whether it is going to be possible to renew their irrigation consent.