Farmers hit out at waterway protection proposals as consultation continues

Farmers who say they are already doing their bit for the environment have hit out at proposals aimed at protecting waterways, saying they'll do more harm than good.

The government's plan for fresh water includes proposed strict new rules to clean up our waterways.

Consultation is still underway, with submissions now extended until the end of October, but many are saying even that is not long enough.

Waikato Farmer Bill Garland says he's one of the farmers already doing it as best he can.

"This farm has a long history of environmental initiatives and the biggest one is in behind us here, a block of 50 hectares," he said.

"We retired about half of it and planted the steepest stuff in production forestry and restoration plantings and protected the native bush.

"We need to take an approach where people are encouraged to do the right thing."

Mr Garland said farmers like him are being unfairly targeted by the government's plans to stop intensification and certain farming practices.

"The main concern is what we call 'grandparenting' - or locking people into their current land use and that means you don't have the flexibility," Mr Garland said.

Corina Jordan of Beef and Lamb NZ said "these proposals essentially put a straight jacket around our most environmentally sustainable farming systems in New Zealand.

"They essentially penalise those that have done the most and reward those that have done the least," Ms Jordan said.

The National Party's spokesperson for farming Todd Muller said he had asked for a furthe extension of the consultation period.

"We've asked for an extension of the consultation period to be six months," Mr Muller said.

"[These are] the most profound changes to farming in a generation but the document provides no economic analysis, no social analysis no identification around how they can farm their way to these new objectives."

However, Marnie Prickett of Freshwater New Zealand says the objections presented are in fact part of a wider misinformation and scaremongering campaign by interest groups.

"There's been a lot of misinformation put out there and there's been a lot of scaremongering from groups," Ms Prickett said.

"The best policy will target high polluting activities first and then allow for a transition over time for the rest of the farm owners."

The government has been holding meeting across the country and final decisions on what the protection measures will mean will be made by early 2020.