Farmers east of State Highway One and between the Ashburton and Rakaia Rivers are being asked to get involved in a three year research project that aimed at better understanding groundwater quality.
The project, which is funded by Ministry for Primary Industries’ Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) and a collaboration between local farmers, businesses, industry groups and Environment Canterbury, is being managed by FAR. It has been set up to provide the best and most up to date information available on water use and quality in the area to the regional council planning and decision making process .
FAR CEO Nick Pyke says Environment Canterbury and the Ashburton Zone Committee will be starting their sub-regional planning process for the Ashburton-Rakaia area in 2018. This process will weigh up the impacts of farming on water quality and supply, and consider what, if any, changes to regulations, around farming activities might be required. This project has been initiated to pull together a more complete and current set of data on the quality of the groundwater resource.
Mr Pyke says this will involve collating historical data from a range of sources and collecting new data through monitoring wells in the East Ashburton Water Users' area.
"This will fill gaps in data and provide a dataset, which will aim to better represent the current situation in the identified area, enabling farmers to develop a better understanding of high risk zones and how nitrate levels vary seasonally, sub-regionally, by depth, and over time. Information provided will allow farmers to take an informed approach to discussion with Environment Canterbury on the development of actions that will meet not only the environmental needs of the area, but the economic and social needs of businesses and the community also."
Although the project is receiving SFF and industry funding, farmers are being asked to contribute as well. Mr Pyke says the level of monetary support required from farmers will depend on the number of property owners who are willing to support it, and the number of wells sampled. However he doesn't expect it will be too costly.
"MPI Sustainable Farming Fund are contributing $42,400 to the project, and industry organisations are providing another $18,000. This leaves an estimated shortfall of $20,000 spread over the three years of the project; around $6,700 per annum. Good support from landowners would result in supporting payments of not more than $100 annually."
Mr Pyke says not all those who sign up to support the project will have their wells monitored, as wells will be selected to be representative of the whole area. He is also notes that the locations of individual wells, or the origin of individual data sets will not be disclosed in reports without agreement of the property owners.
This project is funded by MPI Sustainable Farming Fund, FAR, DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb. Anyone wanting to be a part of, or learn more about, this project should contact Sophie Blair at FAR sophie.blair@far.org.nz or phone 03 345-5783 by February 8 2016.