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MEDIA RELEASE

Quick guide to regional plans released
For immediate release: Tuesday 27 January 2009

Farmers in the Bay of Plenty now have access to a quick guide on the regional plans with the release of the revised booklet A Guide to Regional Plans – Farming Activities.

Environment Bay of Plenty has updated the booklet to coincide with the launch of the Regional Water and Land Plan, which became operative in December last year.

Regional Council’s Strategic Policy Committee Chair Councillor Raewyn Bennett said the guide was a helpful tool for people in the farming industry.

“Whether it is horticulture, dairy, beef or sheep farming, the guide helps farmers to use and interpret the regional plans more easily”Ms Bennett said. It covers a range of activities across all seven Bay of Plenty regional plans, providing helpful information about what activities are permitted, what require resource consent and who to contact for advice.”

The guide is part of a series of booklets designed to simplify the regional plans to make them more accessible to people in the Bay of Plenty.

The series also includes the On-Site Effluent Treatment (OSET) Guide: Dealing with your wastewater, and a Horticultural Activities Guide will soon be produced.

A Guide to Regional Plans –Farming Activities covers common activities in the farming industry. These range from earthworks and offal holes to waste milk disposal and the use of agrichemicals. The guide also includes handy tips on good farming practices, references and website links to further information on tricky subjects, and advice on when resource consent may be required.

If you would like a copy of A Guide to Regional Plans – Farming Activities please contact Environment Bay of Plenty on 0800 ENV BOP (368 267) or by email at info@envbop.govt.nz. It is also available on our website www.envbop.govt.nz.

Note: Environment Bay of Plenty has seven regional plans prepared under the Resource Management Act 1991. The plans aim to improve and maintain the quality of our region’s natural and physical resources. They set out rules and policies that govern the environmental effects of various activities.

ENDS

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