Court decision a win for Southland farmers
Federated Farmers says it welcomes a recent court decision which granted a stay on rules in the Southland Water and Land Plan until legislative changes can be made by government.
A Southland farming leader wants the regional council to delay a proposed regional rates hike, much of which is intended to fund flood protection works.
Under its proposed Long-Term Plan (LTP), Environment Southland (ES) envisages about a 23% increase in regional rates, but Hugh Gardyne, chair of the Mataura Catchment Liaison Committee (MCLC), says farmers simply can't afford it.
"From a farmer and a ratepayer's perspective, at the present time, the things that we can't control are interest rates, insurance, and rates.
"But be under no misunderstanding. Farmers are desperate to cut costs down, to hopefully achieve a cash surplus for the year. It's very difficult," Gardyne told Rural News.
The council's figures show the rate increase is made up of 9% for flood infrastructure, 5% for flood infrastructure investment and 9% for council services.
Gardyne says farmers would stomach the inflation part of the rates - about 4.5% - but much of it was down to the proposed flood protection measures.
"It's that portion that I'm saying, 'look have a spell, consult a bit wider, get people to understand more what's happening'."
ES says ongoing and greater investment in flood protection is a key proposal of the LTP. A proposed new Flood Protection Infrastructure Rate, based on property capital value, would replace 140 existing catchment rates.
Gardyne said the flood risk from climate change was over-hyped.
"It's coming out of places like NIWA, it's coming out of the National Policy Statements and whatnot.
"People need to just get a grip because we can only afford what we can afford," he said.
However, ES chair Nicol Horrell says the council had to consider recent big events such as Cyclone Gabrielle and past Southland floods.
He said he could not comment on the LTP in detail while the consultation was underway but there had been a good crowd at a public meeting in Invercargill on April 29 and he implored people to make a submission.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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