Implications of water quality policy on land use: a case study of the approach in New Zealand
R. W. McDowell
A B E , P. Pletnyakov A , A. Lim C and G. Salmon D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A AgResearch, Lincoln Science Centre, Private Bag 4749, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand.
B Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, PO Box 85084, Lincoln University, Lincoln, 7647, Christchurch, New Zealand.
C Jade Garden Produce, 31 Lincoln Rolleston Road, RD 8, Christchurch, 7678, New Zealand.
D Ecologic Foundation, PO Box 756, Nelson, 7040, New Zealand.
E Corresponding author. Email: richard.mcdowell@agresearch.co.nz
Marine and Freshwater Research 72(4) 451-455 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF20201
Submitted: 23 June 2020 Accepted: 25 August 2020 Published: 22 October 2020
Journal Compilation © CSIRO 2021 Open Access CC BY-NC-ND
Abstract
Achieving good water quality through output controls is difficult. The New Zealand Government recently proposed enforceable bottom lines to protect ecosystem health of 1 mg L–1 dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and 0.018 mg L–1 dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), but has now delayed considering them. In examining whether these bottom lines could be met through mitigating DIN and DRP losses from existing land uses, we found that if all known strategies to mitigate N and P loss were implemented by 2035, the proportion of catchments exceeding these bottom lines would be predicted to be 4% for DIN and 9% for DRP. If bottom lines were enforced, land use would likely change, but to change successfully good advice and effective multilevel governance are required. Advice should expand and standardise elements of farm environment plans that spatially isolate critical source areas of N and P loss and apply cost-effective mitigations. Governance should focus on combining these plans with the national bottom lines and technical support to connect practices and land use at the farm scale to meeting water quality bottom line at the catchment scale.
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