increase font size
Dr Jan Wright.
Farmers have thanked the outgoing Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright for her service.
Federated Farmers commends Wright’s “practical, clear-headed and science-based approach” to her successor, Simon Upton.
Federated Farmers environment spokesperson Chris Allen says the organisation thanked Wright for her leadership and hard work over the last decade, and wished Upton every success as he takes up the reins this week.
"Farmers didn’t always see eye to eye with Dr Wright or her recommendations but on a number of topics we were on the same page, and we certainly appreciated her philosophy that science, evidence and practicality needed to underpin regulations and strategies," Allen says.
"That philosophy was certainly to the fore in her forthright report in 2011 "Evaluating the Use of 1080."
In de-bunking some of the myths about 1080 with the scientific and recorded practical experience facts, her report concluded that while this poison was far from the ideal weapon in the fight against possums, rats and stoats, it was by far the best we have at present - and we should use more of it.
Allen says Wright wisely steered clear of any recommendation that agriculture should be included in the Emissions Trading Scheme in her report on biological greenhouse gases last year, describing that debate as being "polarised for too long".
She acknowledged that the intensity of livestock greenhouse gas emission has declined by 20% in the last 25 years due to improvements in productivity, and gave thoughtful recommendations on planting larger areas of marginal land in trees as a carbon sink while we wait for scientific breakthroughs on methane inhibitors and vaccines.
In a 2014 speech to the Resource Management Law Association, Wright also said, in effect, it wasn’t possible to fix every environmental concern at once, and resources and targets needed to be prioritised.
"Federated Farmers would agree with that. Our policy on environmental issues is that actions need to be sensible, practical and affordable. Quite a number of Dr Wright’s reports and recommendations had a similar tone,” says Allen.
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.
Independent Waikato milk processor Tatua has set another new record for conventional farmgate milk price paid to New Zealand farmers.
OPINION: Environment Canterbury's (ECan) decision recently to declare a so-called “nitrate emergency” is laughable.
An early adopter of a 10-in-7 variable milking regime, the Lincoln University Demonstration Dairy Farm (LUDF) is tweaking the system this season in search of further boosting farm performance and profitability.
The dairy sector is in a relatively stable position, with strong milk price payout forecasts continuing to offset ongoing high farm costs, according to DairyNZ.
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.
Fonterra has delivered a fifth straight year of record organic milk price for farmer suppliers.
OPINION: If the comments about the deceased Tom Phillips posted on social media by keyboard warriors were representative of parenting…
OPINION: This old mutt is loath to sound like Groundswell has been topping up his bowl with brisket off-cuts, but…
