Friday, 17 June 2022 12:25

B+LNZ calls for improvements to latest biodiversity reforms

Written by  Staff Reporters
Beef + Lamb New Zealand say they are concerned about a recent exposure draft of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity. Beef + Lamb New Zealand say they are concerned about a recent exposure draft of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) says it is calling for the Government to improve it’s latest biodiversity reforms.

In an email sent out to farmers earlier this week, signed by B+LNZ chief executive Sam McIvor and B+LNZ chair Andrew Morrison, the organisation says the Government’s latest updates to the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity (NPSIB) is of particular relevance to sheep and beef farmers.

This, the email claims, is because of the significant amount of native vegetation on sheep and beef farmers.

“B+LNZ, along with other primary sector groups, successfully convinced the Government to pause the initial biodiversity reforms in 2020,” the email reads, adding that farmers had significant concerns regarding the proposed rules, especially those relating to Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) and the potential restrictions on what farmers could do in those areas.

“We believe the latest release [of the NPSIB] is badly timed,” the email states.

B+LNZ says it has undertaken a preliminary analysis of the exposure draft and, the email claims, the organisation will be arguing for the Government to make improvements to the latest proposals and slow down a “deluge of environmental policy reforms”.

The analysis states that criteria for identifying SNAs remains broad and will capture significant areas of sheep and beef farms.

“We previously advocated for the definition to be narrowed to identify habitats that are threatened, at risk, or rare as SNAs,” the emails says.

It claims that if certain areas of land are classified as an SNA, it will restrict farmers’ ability to undertake new or modified activities within or in surrounding SNAS.

In the email, B+LNZ say they are undertaking more in-depth analysis of the exposure draft of the NPSIB released last week and will provide further advice on the implications of the regulations to farmers.

More like this

OSPRI's costly software upgrade

Animal disease management agency OSPRI has announced sweeping governance changes as it seeks to recover from the expensive failure of a major software project.

Forestry cuts into stock numbers

There is an urgent need for the Government to put a limit on the sale of farms for forestry - particularly for carbon farming.

Red meat's China push

The red meat sector is launching a new campaign to lure Chinese consumers to New Zealand grass-fed beef and lamb.

Featured

Massey Research Field Day attracts huge interest

More than 200 people turned out on Thursday, November 21 to see what progress has been made on one of NZ's biggest and most comprehensive agriculture research programmes on regenerative agriculture.

Expo set to wow again

Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo being once again hosted in Wairoa in February.

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make an early November dash to Bologna to the 46th EIMA exhibition.

National

Winter grazing warning

Every time people from overseas see photographs of cows up to their hocks in mud it's bad for New Zealand.

ANZ defends farm lending rates

The country's largest lender to the agriculture sector says it's not favouring home loans over farm and business lending.

Machinery & Products

Expo set to wow again

Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo…

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Review SOEs!

OPINION: NIWA has long weathered complaints about alleged stifling of competition in forecasting, and more recently, claims of lack of…

Bank reset

OPINION: Adding to calls to get banks to 'back off', NZ Agri Brokers director Andrew Laming has revealed that the…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter