The Trust's role

The Trust's role in protecting Lake Taupō

The Trust's role in protecting Lake Taupō is to:

  • reduce nitrogen discharge by 20%
  • benchmark (with Waikato Regional Council) nitrogen discharge allowances (NDAs)
  • purchase N (20%) - completed
  • provide advice on Trust activities
  • facilitate N reduction with landowners
  • support applied research to reduce N in the catchment - completed
  • source additional funding (Charitable Trust)
  • monitor and report on the Trust's performance
  • Fulfil the Trust's obligations as required by the Trust and Monitoring Deeds

Benchmark, with Waikato Regional Council, nitrogen discharge allowances (NDAs)

How we benchmark

  • Gather farm information to determine landowner NDA.
  • NDA is essential to manage N loss off farm and for LTPT purchase of N.
  • NDA is used to develop your N management plan.
  • The N management plan forms the basis of your consent.

Note:

  • Information necessary or conservative values assigned.
  • Alternative is to accept permitted activity levels (8 kg/ha/y).
  • A NDA is required before the Trust is able to purchase your N.
  • No consent = non-compliance and open to regulatory response from Waikato Regional Council, not the Trust.

Purchase N (20%)

We need to reduce manageable N from the Lake Taupō Catchment by 20% over next 13 years. This means:

  • 170,300 tonnes N at the land surface
  • 100 tonnes N to the lake.

Potential methods are:

  • Purchase and convert land to low N land use (e.g. forests)
  • Purchase NDA directly, secure with changes to resource consent (decrease NDA) – this may be surplus N from land use change e.g. farm to low N

Note:
Other factors need to be considered in the decision to purchase N (e.g. Carbon offsets, public access benefits).
The Trust is required to purchase N cost effectively. Landowners can approach the Trust directly when they are benchmarked and consented. The Trust may tender or auction for N. There will be an annual allocation of funds unless a large amount of N is offered.
Note:
There may be a different $ value for N depending on the farm system or circumstance. There will be no floor price for N. Permanent reductions are required. The Trust will not lease N.

Facilitate N reduction with landowners

N offsetting is important to allow flexibility and the limited N is to be used to advantage. Landowners may buy, lease or sell NDAs to each other. Any purchase, lease or sale needs to be authorised by a change to a condition of a resource consent under s127 of the Resource Management Act (RMA).

For any application under s127 to increase an NDA there must also be an application under s127 to decrease an NDA. Purchase, lease or sale price is a matter for individuals to determine. The Trust can also use the nitrogen offsetting mechanisms to purchase NDAs.

Support applied research to reduce N in the catchment

The Trust funded research into alternative low N leaching land uses and improved low N pastoral systems by:

  • granting funds ($250,000 per year) for applied research
  • making $5,000,000 available (60% to alternatives, 40% to low N pastoral systems)
  • trials done on land in the catchment
  • investment in low leching nitrogen reduction research projects have concluded.