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217A: Purpose
or “This part explains how farms will use special plans to help protect our rivers and lakes from farming pollution.”
You could also call this:

“This section explains the meaning of important words and phrases used in the rules about farm plans for protecting water.”

In this part of the law, you’ll find definitions for important terms used when talking about freshwater farm plans. Here’s what they mean:

Arable land use is when you use land to grow crops like grain, legumes, herbage seed, oilseed, maize, or other crops for harvest.

An auditor is someone appointed to check freshwater farm plans. They need to meet certain criteria set by the rules.

Certification and audit services are specific tasks related to checking and approving freshwater farm plans.

A certified freshwater farm plan is a plan that has been officially approved and can be updated when needed.

A certifier is a person appointed to approve freshwater farm plans. They also need to meet specific criteria.

A farm, in this context, can be land used for growing crops, horticulture, raising livestock, or other types of agriculture.

The farm operator is the person in charge of running the farm.

Horticultural land use means growing food, drinks, or flowers for people to buy and use.

Pastoral land use is when you use land for animals to graze on.

Regulations are the official rules made about freshwater farm plans.

The relevant regional council is the local government body responsible for the area where the farm is located.

A specified instrument refers to various official documents that set rules or standards for land use.

The statutory land use area threshold is the minimum size of land that requires a freshwater farm plan, which can vary depending on how the land is used.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

Next up: 217C: Application of this Part

or “This part tells you where and when the rules about freshwater farm plans start working in different parts of New Zealand.”
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Part 9A Freshwater farm plans

217BInterpretation

  1. In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires,—

    arable land use means the use of land to grow any of the following crops for harvest:

    1. grain cereal, legumes, or pulse grain:
      1. herbage seed:
        1. oilseed:
          1. maize grain, maize silage, cereal silage, or mangels:
            1. crops grown for seed multiplication:
              1. a crop prescribed in regulations made under section 217M(1)(a)

                auditor means a person who—

                1. is appointed under section 217K or by an approved industry organisation; and
                  1. meets the criteria prescribed in regulations made under section 217M(1)(h)

                    certification and audit services means the services prescribed for the purposes of section 217KA in regulations (if any) prescribed under section 217M

                      certified freshwater farm plan means a freshwater farm plan certified under section 217G, as amended from time to time in accordance with section 217E(2) or (3)

                        certifier means a person who—

                        1. is appointed under section 217K or by an approved industry organisation; and
                          1. meets the criteria prescribed in regulations made under section 217M(1)(h)

                            farm means a farm where all or part of the farm is—

                            1. arable land use; or
                              1. horticultural land use; or
                                1. pastoral land use; or
                                  1. other agricultural land use prescribed in regulations made under section 217M(1)(b); or
                                    1. any combination of the above

                                      farm operator means the person with ultimate responsibility for the operation of a farm

                                        horticultural land use means the use of land to grow food or beverage crops for human consumption (other than arable crops), or flowers for commercial supply

                                          pastoral land use means the use of land for the grazing of livestock

                                            regulations means regulations made under section 217M

                                              relevant regional council means the regional council (as defined in section 2) in whose jurisdiction the farm is located

                                                specified instrument means any designation, national environmental standard, national planning standard, regulations made under Part 14, resource consent, rule in a plan, or water conservation order

                                                  statutory land use area threshold,—

                                                  1. in relation to a land use described in any of paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (e) of section 217D(1), means the area specified in that section for that land use:
                                                    1. in relation to the land use described in section 217D(1)(d), means the area prescribed in regulations made under section 217M for that land use.

                                                    Notes
                                                    • Section 217B: inserted, on , by section 64 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 30).
                                                    • Section 217B auditor paragraph (a): amended, on , by section 805(4) of the Natural and Built Environment Act 2023 (2023 No 46).
                                                    • Section 217B certifier paragraph (a): amended, on , by section 805(4) of the Natural and Built Environment Act 2023 (2023 No 46).
                                                    • Section 217B certification and audit services: inserted, on , by section 805(4) of the Natural and Built Environment Act 2023 (2023 No 46).
                                                    • Section 217B statutory land use area threshold: inserted, on , by section 805(4) of the Natural and Built Environment Act 2023 (2023 No 46).