Stock exclusion: implementation guidance
Guidance for councils, farmers and farm advisors on stock exclusion.
What's happening
- From 1 July 2025 stock exclusion regulations apply for dairy support cattle; all stock must be excluded from wetlands supporting a population of threatened species.
Why it's needed
To reduce effluent runoff into waterways.
What you may need to do
To find out if the regulations apply to you read the stock exclusion factsheet.
For more on farm management for healthy waterways, including stock exclusion see MPI
The following policies and regulations have provisions which apply to stock exclusion.
- National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020
- National Environmental Standards for Freshwater 2020
- Resource Management (Stock Exclusion) Regulations 2020
The Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Act came into force on 25 October 2025. The Act made targeted changes to the Resource Management Act 1991 and several pieces of national direction.
The Act repealed the low slope map and associated requirements from stock exclusion regulations.