Greater Wellington — Apply to become certified for farm planning

An aerial shot of a field overlaid with the text "Farm Plans"

An individual can apply to become a:

A Farm Environment Plan Certifier
A Certified Farm Nutrient Advisor
Or both.

Farm Environment Plan Certifiers can work with community members to produce Certified Farm Environment Plans. Part of the plan involves getting a risk assessment done by a Certified Farm Nutrient Advisor.

Steps to become a Farm Environment Plan Certifier

Complete the online application form
- In your application you’ll provide evidence that you have the skills, knowledge and/or qualifications to meet requirements
Our Certified Farm Planning Panel will review your application against requirements and accept or decline it.
If your application is accepted, you’ll be given provisional approval, and listed on our website. Provision approval indicates this person can be contacted for farm planning services, but is not fully certified yet.
You’ll then complete and receive feedback on three Certified Farm Environment Plans.
- These plans can’t be submitted at the same time. Instead, you’ll submit your first plan to us, receive feedback, then submit your second plan etc.
After the plans are complete, our Certified Farm Planning Panel will make a recommendation to Greater Wellington’s Chief Executive about whether each applicant should be certified.
If Chief Executive approval is granted, the applicant becomes a Farm Environment Plan Certifier and their name and contact details are published on our online list of approved certifiers.

After becoming an approved Farm Environment Plan Certifier:

Annual review meetings are set up to provide support to certifiers.
Certification will lapse if no plans are submitted within a two-years of becoming certified.

Apply to become a Farm Environment Plan Certifier

Steps to become a Certified Farm Nutrient Advisor

Complete the online application form
- In your application you’ll provide evidence that you have the skills, knowledge and/or qualifications to meet requirements
Our Certified Farm Planning Panel will review your application against requirements and accept or decline it.
If your application is accepted our Certified Farm Planning Panel will make a recommendation to Greater Wellington’s Chief Executive about whether the applicant should be certified.
If Chief Executive approval is granted, the applicant becomes a Certified Farm Nutrient Advisor and their name and contact details are published on our online list of approved certifiers.

Apply to become a Certified Farm Nutrient Advisor

Requirements: Applying to become a Farm Environment Plan Certifier

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Minimum experience/skills required to apply to become a Farm Environment Plan Certifier:

At least three years work experience in a land use/farm advisory role

or

Three farm environment plans produced within the two years prior to application

or

Have completed the Intermediate Farm Environment Planning course at Massey University, or an equivalent.

When completing the online application form, applicants must supply a:

CV outlining relevant qualifications and experience
Signed copy of the Farm Environment Plan Certifier/Certified Farm Nutrient Advisor terms of agreement for operation in the Greater Wellington Region.

Complete the online application form

All Farm Environment Plan Certifiers must meet the following legal definitions:

A person who is a certifier as defined in section 217B of the Resource Management Act or
A suitably qualified and experienced person approved by the Chief Executive of Greater Wellington for the purposes of preparing farm environment plans in conformance with Schedule Z.

Requirements: Applying to become a Certified Farm Nutrient Advisor

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Minimum experience/skills required to apply to become a Certified Farm Nutrient Advisor:

Existing certification in the Nutrient Management Advisor Certification Programme 
The Nutrient Management Advisor Certification Programme (NMACP) is an industry-wide certification programme targeted at those who provide nutrient management advice to New Zealand farmers.

or

Completed both the intermediate and advanced Sustainable Nutrient Management in New Zealand Agriculture course at Massey University, or equivalent

and

Have at least three years of work experience in a land use/farm advisory role

and

Can provide three farm-scale nutrient loss risk assessments completed in the two years prior to applying.

When completing the online application form, applicants must supply a:

CV outlining relevant qualifications and experience
Signed copy of the Farm Environment Plan Certifier/Certified Farm Nutrient Advisor terms of agreement for operation in the Greater Wellington Region.

Complete the online application form

All Certified Farm Nutrient Advisors must meet the following legal definition:

A person who has been approved by the Chief Executive of the Wellington Regional Council to undertake farm-scale nutrient loss risk assessment. Provided that the person shall:

Be certified as a Nutrient Management Advisor under a national nutrient management advisor certification programme (or an equivalent programme approved by the Chief Executive of the Wellington Regional Council), and
Have agreed to Wellington Regional Council's terms of agreement for operating as a Certified Farm Nutrient Advisor.

Greater Wellington’s Certified Farm Planning Panel

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Greater Wellington’s Certified Farm Planning Panel is made up of 3-5 people.

This panel has the following responsibilities:

Review Farm Environment Plan Certifier and Certified Farm Nutrient Advisor applications
Review Certified Farm Environment Plans submitted by provisionally approved certifiers within two weeks of receiving them
Produce recommendations for approval by Greater Wellington’s Chief Executive
Review the conduct of Farm Environment Plan Certifiers and Certified Farm Nutrient Advisors in accordance with the relevant terms of agreement for operating
Notify any professionals who have triggered a review of their conduct
Recommend the disestablishment of certifiers to Greater Wellington’s Chief Executive
Where an application is rejected, provide feedback to the applicant on where they fall short of the requirements.

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Apply to become certified for farm planning

Steps to become a Farm Environment Plan Certifier

Steps to become a Certified Farm Nutrient Advisor

Requirements: Applying to become a Farm Environment Plan Certifier

Requirements: Applying to become a Certified Farm Nutrient Advisor

Greater Wellington’s Certified Farm Planning Panel

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