Environment toolkit launched

Beef and Lamb New Zealand has launched a refreshed version of its land and environment planning (LEP) toolkit, a resource to help sheep and beef farmers manage land and environmental issues on their farms.

Farmers understood the need to maintain and improve the natural resources of their farms for future generations, chief executive Dr Scott Champion said.

The toolkit helped farmers identify actions to improve production through good environmental management of the land, soil and water resources. Those plans could also help them meet regional council requirements throughout the country, he said.

Beef and Lamb took the opportunity to roll out the new version of the toolkit in Christchurch, given Environment Canterbury recently notified its regional land and water plan.

''We believe LEPs will be a useful tool for sheep and beef producers to take control of the issue themselves and develop innovative solutions to their individual environmental challenges,'' he said.

The refreshed toolkits incorporated the latest land management information and the first of a new series of modules on how to exclude stock from waterways.