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Federated Farmers environment spokesman Colin Hurst.
Federated Farmers claims that the Otago Regional Council is charging ahead unnecessarily with piling more regulation on rural communities.
It says ORC councillors voted 7-5 yesterday to move forward with notifying its controversial draft Land and Water Plan on October 31.
It’s a poor decision that will result in even more regulation being piled onto Otago farmers in the coming months, Federated Farmers environment spokesman Colin Hurst says.
"The last thing farmers struggling through high interest rates, low payouts and drought conditions want to be waking up to is news that more red tape is likely on the way later this year."
A draft of the Regional Plan released last year included fertiliser caps, stock rate limits and new fencing requirements for most of the catchments in the Otago Region, according to the Feds.
Since that draft was released, central Government has made amendments to primary legislation, relaxing timeframes by which time new regional plans need to be developed.
The Government has also stated it intends to review the national direction councils must achieve, including the requirement to give effect to Te Mana o Te Wai.
ORC’s decision completely ignores the Government’s direction, Hurst says.
"Charging ahead with a draft plan will create a lot of uncertainty for Otago farmers.
"There is a strong chance it could be a big waste of ratepayer money. The Government is reviewing both the national freshwater direction and the entire RMA framework, so it could be that Otago is forced to go back to the drawing board in just a few short years to develop yet another regional rule set.
"Cabinet has extended the deadline for councils to implement freshwater plans until the end of 2027, so why on earth would ORC or other councils choose to push on?
"It’s extremely disappointing that ORC is galloping ahead, wasting ratepayers’ money and heightening farmer anxiety, when changes mean their plan will have a lifespan of barely two years."
Hurst is concerned other councils could also look to charge ahead in the same way as Otago.
"The Government has stated it wants to cut the red tape that’s choking farmers, including replacing the RMA with a framework more focused on property rights.
"It is clear the Government needs to do more to stop councils continuing to implement freshwater rules they themselves have stated they disagree with, and will soon change."
Federated Farmers has called on Central Otago District Council (CODC) to drop or vote down a plan to truck sludge from Alexandra and Cromwell to farmland near Lauder, warning it would compound an "outrageous" situation created by a separate council's decision weeks earlier.
Federated Farmers says new legislation replacing the Resource Management Act will cut red tape, unlock investment and help grow New Zealand's export-led economy, after the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill passed their third reading in Parliament yesterday.
Leading figures from the major political parties will be questioned on their primary sector policies at the Rural Issues Debate at Mystery Creek Events Centre, Hamilton, on 30 September.
Will the good times last? That's one of the key issues to come out of the latest Federated Farmers confidence survey.
Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers arable chair, Bevan Lill, said Beef + Lamb NZ data indicated that for the last six years, the average arable return on investment was about 0.8% while inflation ran about 4% - so the average arable farm was going backwards at about 3% a year.
The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (the College) and Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network are calling for investment in a proposed new training pathway for rural GPs, warning that many rural practices are struggling to recruit while a large share of the existing workforce nears retirement.
Federated Farmers has called on Central Otago District Council (CODC) to drop or vote down a plan to truck sludge from Alexandra and Cromwell to farmland near Lauder, warning it would compound an "outrageous" situation created by a separate council's decision weeks earlier.
Synlait has swung to second-half profit as operations stabilise, but the dairy processor still posted a $75.4m annual loss.
LIC shareholders have elected a new North Island representative to the co-operative's Board, along with five representatives to its Shareholder Reference Group (SRG), following the company's Annual Meeting held in Invercargill.
Farmers across parts of Southland and South Otago are continuing to deal with difficult conditions after a prolonged run of wet weather, with pressure building around feed supply, stock management, pasture damage, farm infrastructure and everyday workloads.
Federated Farmers says it welcomes Labour's commitment to reviewing the Sharemilking Agreements Act, calling on other major parties to do the same.
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