Auditor Reference Group's role in developing FEP guidelines

Dave Lucock is involved in the Auditor Reference Group that monitors and recommends improvements to the Farm Environment Plan audit process. For instance, the Group helps to develop guidelines for winter grazing management plans that are required as part of FEPs in Canterbury.

Riparian care is an example of good management practices, as the filter strip protects the waterway from winter grazing and enhances the biodiversity in local wetlands.

 “The plane crashes in Madagascar 2”, according to my 11-year-old son. This has put an end to my favourite analogy when describing the development of the Farm Environment Plan (FEP) and FEP audit process! The analogy was meant to describe the complex implementation of rules and guidance to unique complex farm systems for the purpose of achieving improved environmental outcomes. Today I want to highlight a part of the FEP audit programme that sits in the background – the work of the Auditor Reference Group (ARG) - with the example of their work on winter grazing management plans.

The ARG is a collection of people representing primary industries, local Iwi, certified FEP auditors, Environment Canterbury Regional Council (ECan) and Fish & Game. The purpose of this group is to provide guidance and advice that ensures the FEP audit programme continues to be credible and robust. An important part of the FEP audit programme is that it is continually evolving and improving to enhance environmental outcomes and usability for farmers. To achieve this, there needs to be good management practice guidance that reflects this development. 

Guiding principles are initially drafted by the primary industries and then circulated among the ARG to see if they meet the environmental expectations of the different stakeholders. An example of this is the recent work by the ARG on winter grazing management plans.

The intensive grazing of crops in the winter has been a talking point for a few years. With the help of the ARG, ECan recently released guidelines on how farmers can develop winter grazing management plans. These plans will be audited as part of the FEP audit and should be implemented from now on.

These guidelines cover four management areas: paddock selection, paddock preparation, grazing management, and post-grazing management. The winter management plan is a document that covers these areas as well as a map depicting paddock location(s), risks, grazing direction(s), and contingency plans (if any). The Farmers Hub section of the ECan website is a treasure trove of information to help create winter grazing management plan templates, including options that may help mitigate the environmental impacts and hyperlinks that will take you to your industry support body. 

An example of a winter grazing plan can be as follows (with fictitious descriptions):

Paddock selection

Paddocks chosen because of low yielding pasture and not in danger of flooding. All paddocks flat to undulating.

Paddock preparation

Fully cultivated and drilled across the prevailing wind to reduce wind erosion risk. Supplement placed to reduce compaction risk, and additional temporary troughs added also to reduce compaction risk.

Grazing management

See map for grazing direction and crop type. Wetter areas fenced off once grazed. Next year’s winter crop paddock to be used as runoff in adverse weather conditions.

Post grazing management

Catch crop sown if feasible. Cultivation dependent on impacts of winter grazing pressure. Ripping may be required round pugged areas.

The winter grazing management plan in itself is relatively straight forward. However, the issue is when farmers feel compelled to adopt regulatory ‘good management practices’ that are unsuitable for their farm system. Getting the balance right for general guidelines that can be applied to a wide range of farm systems can be challenging and makes the enforcement very complex. For example, will a catch crop (to soak up soil nitrogen) always be feasible? Is it always reasonable to sow the next crop or pasture down within one month of the last grazing?

Assisting the drafting of guidelines on winter grazing management plans is one of the examples of the work that the ARG does. The Group continues to have robust, honest discussions on a wide range of issues, with a focus on achieving good environmental outcomes. On this positive outlook, I believe the plane is doing much better than the one in Madagascar 2 – it is flying well and is not in any danger of crashing.

The author, Dave Lucock, is part of the Auditor Reference Group