Operative Waikato Regional Policy Statement (October 2000)

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3  Significant Resource Management Issues, Objectives, Policies and Methods

3.3  Land and Soil

3.3.9 Maintenance of Soil Health

Principal Reasons for Adopting: The Waikato is one of the most intensively farmed regions in the country and this places considerable demands upon its soil resources. Soil health is critical for the sustainable management of both the Region's soil and water resources.

Some land use practices may adversely affect soil versatility and productivity by compaction and reducing fertility. Soil physical condition may also be altered by compaction from roading and housing.

Three major components of soil health need to be considered:

1. Fertility is generally adjusted to suit the crop being grown (grass, vegetables, timber) by means of fertilisers. Reduced application rates may result in insufficient nutrient levels for production. Conversely, fertilisers may have damaging impacts on soil organisms and ground water.
   
2. Biological activity and organic carbon levels are essential for soil fertility, productivity and overall health. Changes, for example, in soil moisture and temperature may reduce biological activity and carbon levels thereby affecting fertility.
   
3. Soil physical condition is largely dependent upon organic matter, the nature of the parent material and the vegetation growing in it. Physical condition plays an important role in the hydrological cycle, soil aeration, temperature and productivity. However, it is easily damaged by inappropriate land use practices.

The above components of soil health are interrelated and effects on any one component will impact on the others. In addition, changes in soil health can affect erosion rates, water quality, flooding and productivity.

Land use practices should occur in a manner designed to avoid degradation of soil versatility and productive capacity.

1. Through development of a regional land monitoring programme:
   
   1. monitor the status of soil versatility and productive capacity
      
   2. identify and monitor the effects of land use practices on soil versatility and productive capacity.
   
   
2. Through an environmental education programme which will be developed in consultation with affected parties:
   
   1. raising awareness about the importance of maintaining soil versatility and productive capacity
      
   2. encouraging the adoption of land use practices that avoid, remedy or mitigate adverse effects on soil versatility and productive capacity.
   
   
3. Encourage research to be undertaken into the development of sustainable land management practices and facilitate the dissemination of this information to land users.
   
4. Prepare where necessary, as part of regional plans, regional rules to avoid, remedy or mitigate degradation of soil versatility and productive capacity.
   
5. Liaise and work with organisations producing their own codes of practice or guidelines designed to avoid, remedy or mitigate soil versatility and productive capacity problems.
   
6. Through regional plans, district plans and resource consents, recognise the diversity and versatility of soils under indigenous vegetation.

The condition of the soil is a direct consequence of the way in which it is used. Land users have a key role in managing soils and need to be well informed of the consequences of their actions. There are a number of ways of managing soil versatility and productive capacity and these include; raising awareness about the problems through environmental education; encouraging land use practices that avoid adverse effects on soil versatility and productive capacity; encourage research into soil versatility and productive capacity problems and facilitate the dissemination of this information to land users; regulation to ensure which activities that adversely affect soil versatility and productive capacity are carried out in a manner that avoids, remedies or mitigates adverse effects. Self regulation is considered to be an implicit regulatory option when preparing regional rules as part of a regional plan. Monitoring the effects of land use practices, such as urban expansion and horticulture, on soil versatility and productive capacity will enable the Waikato Regional Council (Environment Waikato) to identify those practices having adverse effects and facilitate appropriate steps to mitigate these effects.

1. Net reduction across the Region in areas of depleted soil health.
   
2. Increased community awareness of the importance of soil health.

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