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Where did the suggestion to add the consultation option of "whether to repeal the requirement for farmers to use less than 190 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare per year on the grazed area of their farms" come from in the 'Freshwater national direction' consultation that ran from 29 May 2025 to 27 July 2025, given that officials only recommended consulting on "repealing the requirement in the NES-F for dairy farms to provide synthetic nitrogen fertiliser receipts" in the Briefing from officials dated 28 Feb 2025 number BRF-5776?

Answered Question 35738 (2026)
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Asked by

Lan Pham

List MP · Green Party

Question

  • Where did the suggestion to add the consultation option of "whether to repeal the requirement for farmers to use less than 190 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare per year on the grazed area of their farms" come from in the 'Freshwater national direction' consultation that ran from 29 May 2025 to 27 July 2025, given that officials only recommended consulting on "repealing the requirement in the NES-F for dairy farms to provide synthetic nitrogen fertiliser receipts" in the Briefing from officials dated 28 Feb 2025 number BRF-5776?

Answered by

Hon Chris Bishop

Member for Hutt South · National Party · Minister responsible for RMA Reform

Answer

The freshwater national direction consultation package was developed through an iterative process involving advice from officials and discussions with Ministerial colleagues. Final options for public consultation were decided by Cabinet.