13. Lessons from abroad - Jenny Deakin, EPA Catchments
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This presentation was given at the 2019 Catchment Management Notwork meeting, which was held on the 11 October in Tullamore. All our local authorities and other bodies responsible for implementing the Water Framework Directive in Ireland attended to share knowledge and learn from each other.
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13. Lessons from abroad - Jenny Deakin, EPA Catchments
- 1. Lessons from abroad Jenny Deakin
- 2. 1. Invitation to speak at a conference: “Nutrient Loss Mitigations for Compliance in Agriculture” 2. And an international workshop: “Managing N losses to waters” Feb 2019 3. Organised a study trip
- 4. Researchers Farmers Industry Advisors Policy people Research farm visits Working farm visits Researchers Institutes Policy people Irrigation company Ken Taylor’s team Presentations Field visit Researchers Advisors Industry Council Researchers Farmers Field visits Farm orgs Council Maori culture Field visit Departments Industry
- 8. Challenges
- 10. Lake Ellesmere 200 km2 in size, 2m deep Culturally very significant Biodiversity hotspot Massive algal blooms Significant dairy industry Very challenging to address Lesson 1: • New Zealand has pushed their environment too far. • Their ‘social licence’ to farm is at risk. • They have a long way to come back • What can we learn from their experiences?
- 11. What are they doing about it? 1. Driving on the science 2. Philosophy for managing water 3. Regulation and catchment management 4. A strong new action plan
- 12. Driving science and research
- 14. Lesson 2: • We can learn from each other on on- farm research and catchment tools and models • They are more advanced in precision agriculture • They have had to innovate quicker • What can we learn from their experiences?
- 15. Integrated and holistic health and wellbeing of a water body as a sustaining life force. “When Te Mana o Te Wai is given effect, the water body will sustain the full range of environmental, social, cultural and economic values held by iwi and the community” Te mana o te wai is now a policy objective Lesson 3: • Powerful sentiment in this Maori concept. Consistent with integrated catchment management (ICM) • We have made a good start with ICM, but we have some distance to travel • We should be encouraged to broaden the application of ICM • What can we learn from their experiences?
- 16. “Don’ tell me what to do. Tell me what the problem is and I’ll figure out how to fix it” “We believe that if farmers are fully engaged in the process, they will take ownership of the solution”
- 17. Inputbased Outputbased Irl NZ Input v output based control
- 18. Lesson 4: • They have built a nationally applicable farm support model that is providing consistency in decision support and can be used to scale up to catchments • But there are challenges with using it as a regulatory tool • What can we learn from their experiences?
- 19. Lake Rotorua • Highly regulated catchment • Catchment nutrient balance calculated • Mandatory farm reduction targets Lake Rerewhakaaitu • Less regulated catchment • Farm plans developed • Voluntary nutrient reductions “Can we innovate during the transition ?” “Will our efforts be enough?”
- 20. Mac’s farm plan
- 21. Catchment based models and management - N Inputs 2.6 mg/l N (low salinity) Black box 11 mg/l N Progress needed to quantify the link between farm scale actions and water quality outcomes at the catchment scale, so you know when enough is enough Lesson 5: • They are more advanced in whole farm plans • We are more advanced in catchment modelling • We both have some distance to go with catchment nutrient budgets • What can we learn from their experiences? Outputs
- 22. New Zealanders value our freshwater. Our rivers and lakes, and how we care for and use them, are a fundamental part of who we are. We respect the mana of our freshwater – Te Mana o te Wai. New Zealanders want to be able to swim, fish, gather mahinga kai, and enjoy freshwater as our parents and grandparents did. We also need clean water to drink and irrigation to support a sustainable economy.
- 23. Key actions • Bring freshwater to a healthy state within a generation • Full suite of WFD type indicators • Higher standard for swimming • No more draining wetlands • Protect threatened species • Fish passage • Minimum flows • Drinking water source protection • Tighter UWW regulation The health and wellbeing of the water will be put first in decision-making; providing for essential human needs, such as drinking water, will be second, and other uses will follow.
- 24. Key actions - agriculture • All farmers to have a farm plan to manage risks to water by 2025 • Tightly restrict any further intensification until all regions have a freshwater management plan. From 2020, no new conversion to dairy or irrigation unless there is evidence it will not increase pollution • Reduce N loss in high N catchments within 5 years • Exclude cattle, deer and pigs from water ways. 5m setback + fence • Standards for winter grazing, feedlots, stock holding areas - less erosion and less pollution from sediment, nutrients and pathogens
- 25. Lesson 6: • They are taking the issues seriously • They have created a vision • There is leadership to drive solutions • There is interest here in their approach • What can we learn from their policies?
- 26. • Ministeries • 16 regional councils • District councils (e.g. 10 in Christchurch) • Local iwi NZ governance IRL governance LocalAuthority Waters Programme: Catchment Assessment Team Waters and Communities Office Senior policy makers - all Ministries Project management - Water Ministry EPA Local authorities Regional Implementation (x5) 1. Senior management committee – LAs + EPA 2. Operational committee – All implementing bodies Community water officers Catchment scientists Sustainability advisors Technical leadership All implementing bodies Local stakeholders National stakeholders An adversarial approach A collaborative approach V Lesson 7: • Their governance is a bit disjointed and not joined up • There is huge interest internationally on our governance and our collaborative approach – we should be very proud of it • They are learning from us?
- 27. What did I learn? • ‘Relentless’ in pursuit of our plans. Don’t want to get where NZ are. • We must continue to develop the evidence. That includes all of us. • Need to broaden our water thinking into ICM – multiple benefits • Need to put on-farm and local measures into the catchment context • We should be proud of our structures and our collaborative process. It plays to our strengths and we need to continue to nurture it
- 28. Acknowledgements • All our hosts • My 3 companions • Our NZ and Danish colleagues who have, and will be returning to learn from us • EPA for supporting my application Lesson 8: Study visits are invaluable. They bring perspective, reflection, new ideas, and networking.