Resource Management (National Environmental Standards for Freshwater) Regulations 2020 (LI 2020/174).

The Regulations are organised in 4 Parts. Part 1 entails preliminary provisions. Part 2 lays down standards for farming activities; it applies just to farms of a certain size and the listed farming activities are categorised into permitted, discretionary and non-complying activities. The activities considered under this part concern feedlots and stockholding areas (Subpart 1), agricultural intensification as conversions of plantation forestry to pastoral land use, conversions of land on farm to dairy farm land, irrigation of dairy farm land, use of land as dairy support land (Subpart 2 – these are temporary provisions and this subpart is revoked on 1 January 2025), intensive winter grazing activities (Subpart 3 – some of which are revoked on 1 January 2025), application of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser to pastoral land (Subpart 4 – further monitoring and information is required for whom operates a dairy farm).
Part 3, following the same system of permitted, discretionary and non-complying activities sets the standards for other activities that relate to freshwater. These include several activities related to wetlands (Subpart 1 - restoration of natural wetlands; scientific research related to wetlands; construction and maintenance of wetland utility structures; construction, maintenance and operation of specified infrastructure and other infrastructure; sphagnum moss harvesting; arable and horticultural land use; natural hazard works; drainage of natural wetlands. Further details on the activities related to wetlands can be found in Schedules 2-4), reclamation of rivers (Subpart 2), passage of fish affected by structures (Subpart 3 - this subpart is to deal with the effects on the passage of fish of the placement, use, alteration, extension, or reconstruction of a culvert, a weir, a flap gate, a dam, a ford).
Part 4 rules that local authorities may charge for monitoring permitted activities.