Regional Councils
As chair of Environment Canterbury’s Land portfolio, I am encouraged by the increased focus on sustainability by farmers. The Ballance Farm Environment Awards provide a high profile event which demonstrates the improved practices being used on farms of various types across Canterbury. The accompanying publicity portrays some innovative efforts and helps promote good standards amongst other farmers and within the wider industry.
Many farming families feel unfairly portrayed in a world of mass communications new media and increasing pressure from other sectors. Meeting day-to-day demands of shifting markets, adverse weather, livestock, crops, employment issues, and machinery make farming an unpredictable ride. Changing circumstances face the farmer every morning, and it is not easy to embrace the environmental and social responsibilities while striving to make a profit.
These innovative and resourceful winners are providing examples of how to achieve that balance. They are leading the way and represent best practice.
Ross Little
Environment Canterbury Councillor
The Greater Wellington Regional Council has been involved with the Ballance Farm Environment Awards since 2002. In that time more than 120 farms have participated in the Awards, including a number of lifestyle blocks.
Sustainable land management is the cornerstone of much of Greater Wellington’s work and this fits very well with the objectives of the awards. It shows that profitability need not compromise environmental programmes and in many cases those values can be enhanced.
Profiling the awards has encouraged other farmers to be more proactive and in many cases led to further entrants. While it is not always easy to encourage landowners to enter, all those that do are quick to acknowledge the benefits of entering and become strong advocates for concepts of the awards. Our judges, many of whom are volunteers also gain a lot from their participation in the awards and we have many of the same people that started with us in 2002.
It is a pleasure to continue to support the Ballance Farm Environment Awards and we look forward to continuing success for landowners, sponsors and volunteers.
David Cameron
Manager, Land Management
Greater Wellington
The Northland Regional Council introduced the awards to our region in 2005-06, in partnership with the New Zealand Farm Environment Award Trust.
The key objectives of the Awards are to encourage sustainable land management and to display to farmers that profitability need not compromise and, in the best examples, can restore and enhance environmental values.
The awards reflect our role as environmental guardians, while encouraging the sustainable use of our region’s resources to promote economic growth. The feedback and winners’ profiles encourage other farmers to be proactive with their resource management as part of an economically viable agricultural enterprise.
It is our pleasure to continue to support the Ballance Farm Environment Awards, which acknowledge the success of land owners in achieving sustainable land management practices.
Jason Dawson
Community Relations Manager
Northland Regional Council
Working alongside farmers committed to sustainable land management practices is a positive way that the Regional Council can demonstrate its commitment to a better future for the region. We recognise that to look after the environment, people on the land need firstly to be profitable and the Ballance Farm Environment Awards programme recognises this in its objectives.
There are many tools we have available to help change behaviours and practices in the rural sector – these range from imposing conditions through the resource consent process and monitoring those and ensuring compliance through to providing advice and working alongside farmers. It is far more productive for us, the farmers and the community when we all adopt a collaborative approach to more sustainable farming. In the ten year plan we adopted in June this year, we were pleased to commit ongoing support for the very good work happening in the Bay of Plenty where a range of famers, orchardists, sponsors and rural professionals work together on the annual awards programme.
In this way we can help ensure that the water, land, air and coastal resources we enjoy today in the region will produce economic and social benefits well into the future.
John Cronin
Chairman
Environment Bay of Plenty
Horizons Regional Council values the role that the Ballance Farm Environmental Awards plays in promoting a more sustainable approach to farming.
The awards showcase best management practice that encourages more farmers to see that farming with environmental awareness is profitable, as well as providing a positive legacy for future generations.
The supreme winners of the award for 2009 in the Horizons region were Andy and Claire Law who have a sheep and beef farm, plus some deer and goats, east of Taihape. They were worthy winners and were seen as innovative farmers by their peers. This was highlighted when about 100 people turned out for the winners’ field day on their property - a day that reflected the widespread interest in the awards as well as how economics and environment can work together.
We are happy to have the Ballance Farm Environmental Awards as one of many non-regulatory tools used by Horizons Regional Council to promote environmental standards and to achieve positive economic outcomes for the region.
Garrick Murfitt
Chairman
Horizons Regional Council
The Otago Regional Council sees the unique structure and aims of the Ballance Farm Environment Awards making a significant contribution to environmental outcomes in Otago’s primary production sectors. The Ballance Farm Environment Awards have provided valuable opportunities for farmers to show their leadership and skill in developing and managing sustainable programmes on their properties.
Otago Regional Council Chairman, Stephen Cairns said Ballance Farm Environment Award winners and entrants consistently demonstrate lateral thinking and on farm practices that sustain their families, staff, land, waterways and stock.
The Ballance Farm Environment Awards goals fit well with Otago Regional Council objectives and we are pleased to be able to support them.
Peter Taylor
Associate Director
Strategic Communications and Education
Environment Waikato has been a supporter of the Farm Environment Awards since their inception. One of the key things we’ve learned from those years with the New Zealand Farm Environment Award Trust is that good environmental management is as much a state of mind as a set of good practices.
Farming is a business of problem solving, and the best farmers have found solutions that others can learn from. The Ballance Farm Environment Awards gives us the chance to help farmers to learn from the best examples of farming. At the same time our staff get the chance to learn about the practical application of environmental thinking in a farm business setting. And of course it’s also good to be able to publicly acknowledge the good work these farmers are doing.
Alan Campbell
Manager
Sustainable Agriculture