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Executive Summary

  • Progress towards the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord’s (the Accord) five targets continues to be steady in most areas.
  • Incidences of significant non-compliance with effluent management rules, which have the potential for negative environmental impact, improved against figures recorded in 2005/2006. The average significant non-compliance was 10 per cent in 2005/2006 and 7 per cent in 2006/2007 across the 13 regions where Fonterra suppliers operate. The levels of compliance still remain short of the Accord target of 100 per cent compliance.
  • Regional councils have agreed to work together in the coming season to establish a national standard of dairy effluent compliance monitoring and reporting that will allow better year-on-year comparisons and benchmarking between the different regions.
  • The targets for excluding dairy cattle from streams, rivers and lakes, and the provision of bridges or culverts over regular crossing points have already been met for the 2007 season.
  • Significant progress has been made in the adoption of nutrient budgets, however it is still short of the 2007 target of 100 per cent.
  • In regions where councils have identified regionally significant wetlands, the 2007 Accord target has been met.
  • Fonterra and Dairy NZ (the single organisation formed by the merger of Dexcel and Dairy Insight) have committed to a programme of work to improve supplier compliance with effluent management rules and to increase the uptake and implementation of nutrient management systems. Initiatives include providing one-on-one advice to farmers who are not meeting regulatory requirements in selected regions and assisting farmers to produce total farm nutrient management plans in target catchments.
  • The Dairy Industry Strategy for Sustainable Environmental Management was released in 2006 with plans to reduce the dairy industry’s environmental footprint. The plans include targets for reducing nutrient losses, better nutrient management, focused research and the full adoption of the Dairy and Clean Streams Accord.
  • In 2008, the Ministry for the Environment will release a report measuring the impact of the Accord and related initiatives on water quality. This baseline report will enable progress to be measured in the future and enable Accord partners to track results.
  • The Accord is now mid-way through its intended duration. Accord partners plan to undertake a review this year to assess opportunities for improvement, and leverage off new initiatives such as the Strategy for Sustainable Environmental Management. This review may also consider the future of the Accord post-2012.

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