RSE Scheme Changes Coming - McClay

Speaking at Apple and Pear New Zealand conference in Queenstown yesterday, McClay said the apple sector needs workers on site at harvest and pruning.

While the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme delivers them, it has become too hard to navigate, he says.

“Following a comprehensive review, Cabinet has agreed a package of changes,” he says.

“The objective is a scheme that cuts administrative burden, improves worker wellbeing, and gives you certainty as employers.”

Immigration Minister Erica Stanford will set out the full package at the Horticulture NZ conference in Wellington next week.

The RSE scheme allows New Zealand horticulture and viticulture businesses to recruit workers from eligible Pacific nations to plant, maintain, and harvest crops.

McClay also touched on access to water and the need for storage facilities for apple growing areas.

Her says the Government has consulted and has listened and is now replacing the Resource Management Act.

The Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill are before Parliament and will be passed this term, he says.

This week, the Select Committee reported back on the Natural Environment Bill and recommended a significant number of changes that will make it easier to grow and farm.

McClay says that one of the more important changes is the inclusion of food as a stated purpose in the bill, ensuring the primary sector is at the forefront of resource planning.

“Transition to the new system begins this year and will be complete around 2030,” he says.

“In the meantime, we have extended consents through the transition, updated the highly productive land policy, and made freshwater settings more practical.

“My test for the new system is simple: lower compliance costs, less duplication, and secure access to water for productive use.”