What evidence is the Minister aware of, if any, that illustrates farm plans will improve water quality across New Zealand?

Answer

I am aware of a 2025 report which shows how the uptake of mitigation actions on farms has reduced contaminant losses compared to a no mitigation baseline. This report, entitled 'Evidence that actions to mitigate contaminant losses from land via farm planning can improve water quality', was commissioned by the Ministry for the Environment and authored by McDowall et al. It draws on national scale modelling and historical analyses of farm system changes. It also cites forward looking national modelling, which estimates the reduction in nutrient and sediment losses that could occur if farm scale mitigations are widely implemented across New Zealand farms.