Key points
Stock density is a standard way of measuring the amount of stock on an area of land. Environment Waikato uses stock density to indicate where there are current and possible future pressures on the environment from livestock farming. This indicator shows stock density, grouped into four classes, for each of the seven major water catchment zones in the Waikato Region.
- The highest stock densities are in the Lower Waikato, Hauraki, Waipa River and Upper Waikato water catchment zones.
- The lowest stock densities are in the Taupo, West Coast and Coromandel water catchment zones.
- Between 2001 and 2008 there appears to have been an increased proportion of farms adopting lower stock density, however some farms have also been adopting increased stock density.
Stock density in seven major water catchment zones in the Waikato Region, January 2001 and March 2008 (percentage of farms in each class for each catchment)
Source: AgriQuality AgriBase Farm Database/Environment Waikato
Note: Part of the difference between 2001 and 2008 data may be due to changes in methodology.
What agencies are doing
- Environment Waikato monitors changes in stock density to update this indicator and to assist with policy making.
- The stock density indicator helps us to target education and policy responses to protect soil and water quality in the areas where livestock farming is most intensive or where increases in stock density may adversely impact high value resources.
- We encourage responsible land use and promote public awareness through environmental education work with farmers.
- We support Care groups in the Region that are involved in riparian (stream bank) management such as planting and fencing.
- We provide environmental information for farmers, including practical land management guidelines. Check out our publications.
- Environment Waikato’s Clean Streams Project will operate from July 2002 to encourage fencing and protection of waterways and provide financial assistance where appropriate.
- Environment Waikato is in the process of changing the Proposed Regional Plan to manage the amount of nitrogen getting into Lake Taupo from land use in the catchment.
- We support voluntary guidelines and codes of practice such as the NZ Fertiliser Manufacturer’s Research Association’s Code of Practice for Fertiliser Use (code of practice) and the development of industry codes such as dairy industry guidelines.
What you can do to help
- Fence off drains, streams, rivers, swamps, wetlands and seeps to prevent stock access.
- Plant banks of waterways to help stabilise the banks and trap nutrients.
- Protect wetlands so that they can function effectively to filter nutrients out of runoff.
- Follow our guidelines when applying dairy farm effluent to land.
- Make sure dairy shed effluent irrigators are operating effectively and are moved frequently to prevent ponding and runoff into waterways.
- Avoid break-feeding or mob-stocking close to waterways, especially in wet weather.
- Use well managed feed pads and standoff areas to minimise pugging damage, control effluent runoff and improve nutrient recycling.
- Form a Care groups with your neighbours to discuss and implement land management practices to protect your local river and stream.
More information
More detail on this indicator, including how and where this information is collected, is available here.
What we want to achieve
The community outcome we are seeking to achieve by monitoring stock density is:
- We use land management practices that protect and sustain our soil and land.