Q & A

• New Zealand’s national grid is green by international standards, with more than 75% of our power coming from renewable sources. Connecting to the national grid is often the most environmentally friendly way to power a rural home. In very remote areas, the costs of connecting to the national grid can be as high as $25,000 per km. This can make generating your own renewable energy on-site particularly appealing.
  The main options for on-site power systems in New Zealand are solar panels, small wind turbines and micro-hydro systems (for rural land with streams or running water).
  Solar powered homes are the most popular choice, as sunshine is available in most locations - even where wind or water may not feature.  Government or council grants are often available to help offset the cost of installation of the solar panels, but be aware that the batteries and inverters are where the real costs lie.
  Most home power consumption tends to be in the evenings, when your system isn’t producing power. It's for this reason that a home’s power storage capacity is important. Battery technology is rapidly improving, but battery replacement still tends to be necessary every 10 years or so. Solar technicians are far from plentiful in regional areas and demand for their services is strong. If your system breaks down, you may be without power for lengthy periods while you wait for technicians or parts.
  If no connection to the national grid is available at your property, any power generation systems should be accompanied with a battery for energy storage, and a diesel back-up power generator for emergencies. This generator will support you during bad weather events or when technical issues disrupt your power supply. 

• As a small country, New Zealand is fairly well covered with hospitals, emergency clinics and other medical services that you might need.  Some more remote locations will entail longer travel times to clinics or hospitals, and this is something you should consider when deciding where to buy your retirement property. The Ministry of Health offers a number of mobile and in-home services to rural areas.  They can also sometimes provide financial assistance for those who need to travel long distances for specialist medical care. It will pay to have a plan in place for health emergencies.

Due to high rainfall, New Zealand is not generally at risk from wildfires, except in the drier summer months (November to February), or during drought periods.
 
To reduce fire risks generally on your lifestyle block, keep your property grasses cut regularly, and ensure that there is plenty of clear space (without dry grass or wood items) around your lifestyle block houses, sheds and buildings.
 
Fallen timber occurs naturally on farms and lifestyle blocks. It can form the basis of native habitats, and it contributes to a healthy eco-system by helping native fauna to flourish. Fungi growing on rotting timber will also help to recycle nutrients back into your soil and nourish the next generation of plants. If fallen timber does pose a fire threat, simply relocate it to a safer place on your property.
 
For information on New Zealand fire risks, visit the National Rural Fire Authority.

Water infected with or tainted by algae can be poisonous to humans and livestock.  It should be avoided in all cases.  Boiling algal water will not make it safe to drink.
 
Do not drink or swim in algal water. Don’t rinse vegetables or fruit in it, or cook with it. Don’t wash your clothes in it, as the algae can cause rashes and infections. Don’t eat shellfish or fish caught in it, as the fish may have ingested the algal water.
 
Take extra care not to spray or flood irrigate pastures or crops with it. If you do use algal water on your farm by mistake, you could infect your entire food crop.

Cyanobacteria, better known as blue-green algae, is a bacteria than can be harmful to humans and animals. While it occurs naturally, it can be inadvertently encouraged to bloom when nutrients like phosphorous are introduced to waterways by humans.  Many popular cleaning products use phosphorous in their formulations.
 
To avoid algal bloom outbreaks, limit the amount of nutrient run-off from your property entering waterways. Avoid excessive use of farm fertilisers and maintain good farm vegetation to act as a natural nutrient run-off buffer. If you don't have good lifestyle block vegetation areas, move any livestock further away from waterways.

Other things you can do to reduce the risk of algal bloom outbreaks include:

• Minimise the amount of time soil remains exposed to wind and water. Don’t work soil too much, or work it too far ahead of planting
• Practice minimum soil cultivation techniques to maintain soil structure
• Avoid cultivating very steep slopes of soil where limiting runoff will be difficult
• Use green manure crops and work them into the soil regularly
• Use crops that cover the soil where you can.  This helps prevent soil erosion
• Use buffer strips of dense vegetation in steep locations to catch runoff
• Use surface drains or diversion banks alongside dams and rivers
• Leave natural drainage areas on your lifestyle block grassed.  This helps with drainage, and reduces the amount of runoff as water is absorbed into the soil
• Build culverts and bridges or hard crossings for stock, and vehicle crossings
• Maintain quality of stream banks with solid grass cover, trees, shrubby plants and native grasses
• Keep livestock away from streams and waterways by using traditional or electric fencing. Livestock may get sick if they consume algal water.  They may also spread algal water across your property, causing further blooms

The use of chemicals on any farm in New Zealand is governed by the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act, which is administered by the Ministry for Primary Industries. This Act covers the importing, manufacturing, selling and use of all agrichemicals. It also list chemicals and substances that are prohibited by law.
 
If you intend to use chemicals on your lifestyle block, you must familiarise yourself with your obligations as early as possible.  The consequences of misuse could be highly damaging for the local environment, and for neighbouring farms.  Severe fines and penalties may also be issued to you, causing financial stress.
 
The Ministry for Primary Industries website contains a wealth of useful information.

Organic farming is an approach that aims to work with the surrounding natural environment, rather than fighting against it. Only natural fertilisers and chemicals are used, and in some cases these are totally excluded.  Some people say that they can taste a noticeable difference when eating organic foods instead of produce that is intensively farmed.  Prices of organic groceries are generally higher in supermarkets.
 
Organic farming can make soil heath harder to maintain, and pest control is more difficult.  Weeds must also be tolerated and managed, but not eliminated.
 
The basics of organic farming involve:

• Achieving healthy soil without chemicals
• Managing mildews, fruit flies and scale insects in citrus fruits
• Managing internal parasites in sheep without chemicals
• Managing other pests and diseases without chemicals and drugs

There are a large number of resources available about organic farming.  A simple Google search will provide many websites and book choices for you to consider.

Some lifestyle block owners successfully make a living by growing and selling certified organic produce.  Talk to your First National Rural Specialist for advice.

The best way to improve the quality of your soil is to grow green manure crops such as clover and vetch on your lifestyle block. These crops can be grown during the winter and then be cut down and dug into the soil. The dying plants add nutrients and organic matter to the soil, improving the overall soil quality.
 
There are plenty of green manure crops you can choose to grow in New Zealand’s temperate climate.  These crops include mustard, lucerne, blue lupin and marigolds. Broad beans are a nice option if you want a crop you can harvest during winter.
 
Contact local nurseries or agricultural organisations to discuss your lifestyle block farming plans and to find out which crops might be most suitable for your land. 
 
If you have any remaining questions regarding lifestyle blocks, please contact the friendly First National Real Estate team for guidance.  We're here to help you. 

Lifestyle blocks are very common in New Zealand, and most major insurance companies offer lifestyle block insurance policies tailored to your needs. These policies typically cover home and contents, accidents (including liability), farm buildings, farm equipment and vehicles, and livestock and other animals.

Depending on the level of income you receive from your lifestyle block, you may want to consider additional insurance. Insurance policies will typically cover loss of income from adverse events (droughts, severe frost, animal sickness or even rustling). Your insurance broker can advise on the right insurance policy types and the appropriate level of insurance cover you need (if any is required).