Abstract

The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management establishes a range of policies directing local government to manage water sustainably in an integrated manner. A key purpose of the statement is to set enforceable quality and quantity limits that reflect local and national values allowing for economic growth to occur (Ministry for the Environment 2011). Limitations on resources will be the new reality for farmers, as is now the case in the Taupo and Rotorua catchments. This Contract Session will discuss the role of ‘system fundamentals’ in profitably farming within limits, the dairy industry response to improving the management of freshwater resources, a recent collaborative example of producing a mitigation resource for farmers, and the needs of resource constrained farmers from scientists in the next 20 years.

EH, Van Reenen

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 74, Napier, 241, 2014