Govt to Clarify Discharge Rules for Primary Sector Under Resource Management Act

“Our goal is to create straightforward rules that enable both higher growth and productivity while supporting positive environmental outcomes,” Mr. McClay emphasized.

The Government has announced plans to provide much-needed clarity around discharge regulations for primary producers and councils under section 70 of the Resource Management Act (RMA), Agriculture Minister Todd McClay confirmed today.

The upcoming clarification will be included in the second Resource Management Amendment Bill. It aims to safeguard permitted discharge activities and provide clear guidelines for managing diffuse discharges, offering legal certainty for both the primary sector and local councils.

“The recent High Court decision threatens to require consents for previously permitted discharges into waterways, potentially imposing costs that could hinder the primary sector’s ability to improve freshwater quality over time,” said Mr. McClay.

He further highlighted that the ruling would drastically increase councils' consenting workloads, leading to potential delays and backlogs. The government’s move seeks to ease this burden, ensuring that councils and the primary sector can plan ahead without disruption to key operations.

“Our goal is to create straightforward rules that enable both higher growth and productivity while supporting positive environmental outcomes,” Mr. McClay emphasized. He also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to supporting regional councils and the primary sector by ensuring that economic growth goes hand in hand with maintaining high environmental standards.