Dairy, dairy support and beef cattle, pigs and deer must be excluded from wetlands, lakes and rivers with a bed greater than or equal to one metre wide.
Minimum setbacks of three metres between stock and the bed of a lake or river will be required, except where permanent fences or riparian planting is already in place to exclude stock. Setbacks from wetlands are not defined in the stock exclusion regulations but should take wetland requirements in the NES-FW into consideration, including controls on land disturbance and vegetation clearance within 10m of a wetland.
For farmers considering wider setbacks to provide for more riparian values, the Landcare Research report ‘Riparian setback distances from water bodies for high-risk land uses and activities’ (2020 - link below) provides guidance on recommended setbacks based on different functions of riparian areas, including for sediment and nutrient management, improving bank stability, and improving water quality and biodiversity values/
'Riparian setback distances from water bodies for high-risk land uses and activities'(external link)
Dairy, dairy support and beef cattle, and pigs must not cross lakes and rivers more than twice per month unless by way of a dedicated bridge or culvert (except for where this in impracticable due to a highly mobile bed). Where stock are crossing waterways (in accordance with the rules) they must be actively driven through the water.
Refer to the Ministry for the Environment webpage for further detail.(external link)
Low slope land means land identified as low slope in the interactive map found at Ministry for Environment
See the interactive map for stock exclusion
The Government is aware there are inaccuracies with the dataset and has indicated it is working on improvements. However, even if the information is inaccurate for your property, you still need to comply with the regulations.
Find out more about the proposed changes on the MfE website
Last modified:
