Two counter stories about the growing sustainability of New Zealand hill country farms are being rolled out.
One is the great stewardship that is being done on farms and encouraged by such organisations such as Beef+Lamb NZ and Dairy NZ.
And the other, with less organisational support is a growing commentary about many of the unacceptable practices still being carried out on some New Zealand farms.
As a caveat to following, most occurred pre-Cyclone Gabrielle and it probably wouldn’t be fair to focus too much on the damage from hill country silt in this latest round. Many farmers who had invested considerable time, money and effort have seen their efforts washed away and potentially adding to the downstream problem.
However, these farmers and land owners should also be asking questions of landowners upstream of them about how much they contributed to the underlying cause (too much water coming down too fast). Forestry’s part in this is a given. The evidence of their poor stewardship is everywhere to be seen and it is clear that the current (at least up to Cyclone Gabrielle) mode of operating is not sustainable.
But some quite extensive areas of pasture land are also being looked and the serious lack of tree cover has to be questioned.
Other aspects of land use, on hill country and flat land can also be scrutinised and found wanting.
So, with that in mind a scan of what was a reasonable definition of sustainable development was done. I believe it needs to be “sustainable development” as that includes social and economic aspects which a country needs to operate. Going back to a native bush covered landscape might sound attractive but it’s not really practical. The reasonably comprehensive definition below came from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy (1999) and does include a hefty environmental component.
The principles are:
1) Work in harmony with nature. Land use and development activities should support the essential cycles and life support functions of ecosystems. Whenever possible, these activities should mimic ecosystem processes, rather than modify them to fit urban forms. These activities must respect and preserve biodiversity, as well as protect and restore essential ecosystem services that maintain water quality, reduce flooding, enhance sustainable resource development.
2) Liveable built environments. The location, shape, density, mix, proportion, and quality of development should enhance fit by creating physical spaces adapted to desired activities of inhabitants; encourage community cohesion by fostering accessibility among land uses; and support sense of place to ensure protection of special physical characteristics of urban forms that support community identity and attachment.
3) Place-based economy. A local economy should strive to operate within natural system limits. It should not cause deterioration of the natural resource base, which serves as a capital asset for future economic development. Essential products and processes of nature should be used no more quickly than nature can renew them. Waste discharges should occur no more quickly than nature can assimilate them. The local economy should also produce built environments that meet locally defined needs and aspirations. It should create diverse housing, and infrastructure that enhances community liveability and the efficiency of local economic activities.
4) Equity. Land use patterns should recognize and improve the conditions of low-income populations, and not deprive them with basic levels of environmental health and human dignity. Equitable access to social and economic resources is essential for eradicating poverty and in accounting for the needs of the least advantaged.
5) Polluters pay. Polluters (or culpable interests) that cause adverse community-wide impacts should be required to pay, taking into account that the polluter must bear the cost of pollution and other harms, with due regard to the public interest.
6) Responsible regionalism. Communities should not act in their own interests and should account for the consequences of their actions on others. Just as individual developers may be subject to the polluter (or culpable) pays, a local jurisdiction has an obligation to minimize the harm it imposes on other jurisdictions in pursuit of its own objectives.
The paper goes on to explain, principles one through four are associated with the “reproduction” characteristic, since they address the long-term ability of a community to sustain healthy local social, economic, and ecological systems. Principles five and six reflect the “link local to global concerns” characteristic, wherein communities (and individuals) act with a broader obligation to others.
With the now current acceptance that Cyclone Gabrielle and previous recent weather events are going to become more common, society is going to require more action be taken to mitigate such events, both at local and national levels. Nationally, that means reducing emissions and building up the infrastructure and resilience of the country. And locally, a greater focus on those who are not contributing to the resilience.
The photo below taken by satellite in 2022 could be repeated anywhere in the country and shows the scars likely post Bola (1988). Apart from the rapid water run-off and associated erosion and downstream silt, the productive potential of this land has likely dropped by 30% to what it was pre-Bola given the same inputs.
Google Earth
And yet this is repeated across the country.
If nothing else we have shown to be slow learners.
However, I suspect this time around (post Cyclone Gabrielle) the cost to too many will ensure action will occur. Post Bola plantings behind the “Red Line” in Tairawhiti were all done for the right reasons; that is, protect the land for the future and protect those living downstream. However, poor later planning and enforcement has led to the serious predicament the “Coast” and elsewhere has found itself in. This can’t be allowed to be repeated as the fog of time dims the memories.
I think all the “Sustainable Development” definitions I looked at had the common theme that the resources to operate should be left intact so that those following can also operate in the same environment.
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