The first winter where consents were required for intensive winter grazing under the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater is drawing to a close.
The Otago Regional Council said it was "really happy" with the level of positive engagement from farmers and industry with the consent process and those who looked to meet the permitted activity criteria.
Council manager compliance Tami Sargeant said compliance this winter had been considered very good, with a high number of consents and appropriate measures in place.
Council staff had followed up on the ground, where a small number of high-risk sites were identified and only one infringement notice and one abatement notice had been issued.
Manager for environmental implementation Libby Caldwell said winter forage crops and winter grazing were an important part of some systems.
Intensive winter grazing (IWG) was designed to make the most of high-growth periods and manage excess feeds.
During the summer, farmers focused on building up a stock of feed to be used during the winter.
That involved growing crops such as kale and swedes, and harvesting hay or baleage from pasture.
By having a feed bank in place, farmers were able to fully support their livestock, even during times of feed scarcity.
Additionally, winter feed ensured there was enough pasture for stock to calve and lamb on and contributed to pasture renewal rotations.
An IWG management plan was crucial for maintaining successful environmental outcomes while ensuring animals had enough feed over the winter, Mrs Caldwell said.
Farmers in Otago with IWG in areas of risk were required to submit a comprehensive grazing management plan.
Those plans, developed on a paddock-by-paddock basis, were required to show how to mitigate any potential environmental risks on their farms.
The high adoption rate of IWG consents and grazing plans in Otago reflected farmers’ dedication to safeguarding waterways and ecosystems, she said.
