Consultation on amendments to stock exclusion regulations

Read the proposals

The stock exclusion regulations were introduced in 2020 as part of the Essential Freshwater reforms. A map of low slope land identifies areas where beef cattle and deer cannot have access to waterbodies from 1 July 2025.

Following feedback the Government revised the map in 2022 to improve how it identifies low slope land and to avoid capturing lower intensity farming in the high country.

While the revision improved how the map identifies low slope land, the map is still likely to capture some lower intensity farming systems (ie, at lower altitudes and slopes).

Because lower intensity farming systems tend to be stocked at lower rates, the marginal environmental benefit of excluding stock is reduced while cost is increased (eg, the cost of fencing per stock unit).

The Government is consulting on options to address this issue by:

• defining lower intensity farming for the purpose of an exception to the map, based on a threshold of stock units per hectare
• using certified freshwater farm plans to address the unintended capture of lower intensity farming on the map, once such plans become available.

Consultation opened on 19 June and closed on 16 July 2023.