increase font size
Federated Farmers vice president Colin Hurst.
The country’s biggest farmer lobby isn’t happy about the new Government’s decision to review and replace a controversial legislation on freshwater management.
Federated Farmers says replacing the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 (NPS-FM) within two years is “less than ideal”.
The farmer lobby’s national vice president and freshwater regulations spokesman Colin Hurst notes that Federated Farmers has been calling for these rules to be urgently repealed.
In a message to Feds members today, Hurst says what they got from the Government was agreement to delay freshwater rules implementation until 2027.
“It will also work on changes to the national direction but this will take 18 to 24 months. This feels less than ideal. Simply pushing out the dates for implementation probably won’t be enough to have councils stop work on this, because the National Policy Statement requires councils to give effect to the regulations ‘as soon as practicable’. We also need clarity on how a rebalance of Te Mana o te Wai will be achieved.
“The Government announcement falls short of meeting the expectations of our rural communities. Federated Farmers will work constructively with the Government more on this next year to ensure freshwater rules achieve environmental improvements in a way that is practical and fair for farmers and rural communities.”
The Feds’ position will be awkward for Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard, who is one of the key politicians spearheading the review of freshwater management rules.
Hoggard, a former Federated Farmers president, is a member of ACT, one of the three partners in the Coalition. ACT also campaigned hard on repealing an avalanche of regulations formulated by the previous Government against farmers.
In a statement this week, Hoggard said that work on the NPS-FM replacement will start immediately.
“This process is expected to take between 18 to 24 months and will include a robust and full consultation process with all stakeholders including iwi and the public.”
The Government says it will develop an approach that is fit for purpose and enduring.
While the consultation is ongoing, the government has announced it will extend the timelines for regional councils to notify new freshwater plans. Councils will now have until December 31, 2027 to align with the new NPS-FM.
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.
Meat co-operative, Alliance has met with a group of farmer shareholders, who oppose the sale of a controlling stake in the co-op to Irish company Dawn Meats.
Rollovers of quad bikes or ATVs towing calf milk trailers have typically prompted a Safety Alert from Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation dedicated to fostering a safer farming culture across New Zealand.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
A group of Kiwi farmers are urging Alliance farmer-shareholders to vote against a deal that would see the red meat co-operative sell approximately $270 million in shares to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
In a few hundred words it's impossible to adequately describe the outstanding contribution that James Brendan Bolger made to New Zealand since he first entered politics in 1972.
Dawn Meats is set to increase its proposed investment in Alliance Group by up to $25 million following stronger than forecast year-end results by Alliance.
OPINION: Ageing lefty Chris Trotter reckons that the decision to delay recognition of Palestinian statehood is more than just a fit…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly recently met someone at a BBQ who works at a big consulting firm who spent…
