increase font size
Farmers are disappointed by the Waikato Regional Council’s ‘delaying tactics’ around a judicial review for the Healthy River Plan Change.
Farmers are disappointed by the Waikato Regional Council’s (WRC) ‘delaying tactics’ around a judicial review by six organisations over plans for the Healthy River Plan Change.
The six organisations- Horticulture New Zealand, Federated Farmers, Pukekohe Vegetable Growers Association, Waikato and Waipa branches of the New Zealand Deer Farmers’ Association, Primary Land Users Group, and Beef + Lamb
New Zealand- filed an application in the Hamilton High Court.
The judicial review relates to WRC’s decision to withdraw part of the Proposed Waikato Regional Plan Change 1 - Waikato and River Catchments to the Waikato Regional Plan, to allow for consultation with Hauraki iwi.
That is due to be heard on 19 and 20 June 2017. A review decision may not be received until July or August.
The action has been taken as the group believes that the WRC has failed to comply with requirements of the Resource Management Act (RMA) to ensure integrated management of the natural and physical resources of the region and to give effect to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPSFM).
Horticulture New Zealand chief executive Mike Chapman says since November last year, when the WRC withdrew 120,000 hectares from the plan to enable consultation with Hauraki iwi, our group has been trying to get the submission date deferred, or put on hold, while that important consultation takes place.
The area removed is not related to a catchment but is an iwi boundary that is across catchments, essentially splitting them and making it difficult for stakeholders to put together submissions. It also unnecessarily complicates the process and causes confusion.
"With the submission closing date looming on 8 March, we once again have to consider legal options, because we are unfortunately getting backed into a corner," Chapman says.
"We have already gone to the Courts for a judicial review on process, because we believe it makes no sense to close submissions while such a large area remains outside the plan.
"This plan change has significant impacts on our farmers and growers who just want a fair and consistent process so they can get on with growing New Zealand’s food.
"We do not want to have to work through two separate submission processes, and spend a lot of time and money on lawyers and Court processes.
"We have variously written, emailed, tried to talk to council and councillors, and appeared before council meetings. A recent Council meeting saw a decision on delaying the submission delegated from Council to a Heathy Rivers Subcommittee, due to meet this week.
"We are looking forward to a recommendation from that committee to delay submissions."
New Zealand's pest problem has reached crisis point, according to Federated Farmers' second National Pests Survey, which shows farmers are spending more money and effort on control — yet pest numbers keep climbing faster than they were two years ago.
Despite political shenanigans in Wellington, farmers are confident that Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms will get over the line in this term of Parliament.
The Government has announced it will pause key parts of Waikato Plan Change 1 (PC1) in a decision that is set to give Waikato farmers a reprieve from new consenting and farm-planning requirements while the wider resource management system is overhauled.
OPINION: As the general election approaches, political parties are churning out policies in the hope of attracting more votes.
Federated Farmers president Colin Hurst and his family raised a glass of milk last week to toast the start of a new addition to their farming operation at Makihihi, south of Timaru.
Bigger, bolder salads packed with colour, crunch and flavour are making headlines overseas — and the arrival of fresh spring vegetables means New Zealanders can now get chopping too, creating their own Great Kiwi Spring Salad.
Chinese beef trade quotas and a looming suspension of Brazilian beef imports into the European Union are expected to reshape global beef trade flows over the remainder of 2026, with implications for New Zealand exporters, according to Rabobank's Q3 Global Beef Quarterly report.
James Blair, an agronomist for AS Wilcox and the Pukekohe regional champion, has won the 2026 Young Grower national title.
An Auckland gelato shop and an established New Zealand ice cream maker have both been named Supreme Champions at the NZ Ice Cream & Gelato Awards 2026.
As the cost-of-living crisis continues to put pressure on household grocery budgets, new figures show pork remains one of the most affordable fresh meat options for New Zealand families.
OPINION: In politics, credibility is and should be big. It must surely rank higher than charisma, which is quite trite and superficial. Yet, voters nowadays are often wooed and influenced by how someone looks or talks at a superficial level. TV plays a huge role in this.
OPINION: The same mainstream media muppets that brought you Jacindamania in 2017 have been flat out pimping for the Opportunities…
OPINION: Your old mate reckons the atrocious way farmers in the UK are treated by their lords and masters in…
