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Colin Hurst, Federated Farmers, says farm plans have huge potential to cut unnecessary red tape.
OPINION: The Government's latest move to make freshwater farm plans more practical and affordable is welcome, and long overdue.
The changes are a positive start that will give farmers a lot of confidence for the future. The changes are largely in line with what the industry has been advocating for over the past six years.
The changes should cut the cost and complexity out of the system and reduce the number of farms required to have a plan and to take a risk-based approach to certification. The new plans should also manage environmental impacts, but without unnecessary red tape, and they won’t be required for small blocks.
Federated Farmers Colin Hurst says farm plans have huge potential to cut unnecessary red tape, compliance costs, and consenting requirements for farmers. He says a tailored farm planning system that takes a risk-based approach will provide strong environmental protections without the over-the-top bureaucracy we’ve seen in recent years.
“For a farmer, this has the potential to be a game changer, replacing the need for expensive and uncertain resource consents or constantly changing council rules,” he says.
It’s a feather in the Government’s cap, and Hurst says the Government are making all the right noises. However, farmers should still keep a close eye on the process and lobby groups should keep engaging with them to make sure the system works in practice.
On the Government side, Andrew Hoggard says officials are working with industry, sector groups, and councils to finalise improvements through updated regulations, while Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says the Government is recognising existing industry programmes that achieve equivalent environmental outcomes and that farmers shouldn’t have to complete multiple plans.
OPINION: Recent media commentary from Southland Federated Farmers has raised concerns among our rural communities, particularly around Environment Southland’s approach to winter grazing inspections and nitrogen reporting. But let’s be clear, much of what’s been said simply doesn’t reflect reality.
OPINION: Environment Canterbury's (ECan) decision recently to declare a so-called “nitrate emergency” is laughable.
A shameless political stunt is how Federated Farmers is describing the Canterbury Regional Council decision to declare “a nitrate emergency” on the back of its latest annual groundwater quality survey.
Federated Farmers say Environment Canterbury's decision to declare a 'nitrate emergency' is a shameless political stunt that won't help anyone.
Farmers want the Government to scrap controversial freshwater rules that "put river spirits and ideology ahead of practical water use", says Federated Farmers board member Mark Hooper.
Like many manufacturers around the world, European agricultural machinery and tractor manufacturers are currently operating in a difficult market environment. But they are heading to the world’s largest agricultural machinery event in Hanover next month with a degree of cautious optimism.
Established in 2021, the John Deere Technician of the Year Awards champion the important contribution parts and service technicians make to the Australian and New Zealand agriculture, construction and forestry industries.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling on farmers from all regions to take part in the final season of the Sheep Poo Study aiming to build a clearer picture of how facial eczema (FE) affects farms across New Zealand.
New Zealand is closer to eradicating bovine TB than ever before, but possums remain a threat, says Beef + Lamb New Zealand.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has joined the debate around the proposed sale of Fonterra’s consumer and related businesses, demanding answers from the co-operative around its milk supply deal with the buyer, Lactalis.
The ACT Party says media reports that global dairy giant Nestle has withdrawn from the Dairy Methane Action Alliance shows why New Zealand needs to rethink its approach to climate.
OPINION: Dairy industry players are also falling by the wayside as the economic downturn bites around the country.
OPINION: Methane Science Accord, a farmer-led organisation advocating for zero tax on ruminant methane, will be quietly celebrating its first…
