Rural Mobile Coverage Worse After 3G Shutdown, Survey Finds
Mobile phone coverage and reliability are deteriorating in rural areas, and farming families are bearing the cost, according to a Federated Farmers survey.
The debate has been organised jointly by Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ), DairyNZ and Federated Farmers, and will be moderated by radio host and columnist Heather du Plessis-Allan.
The panel will feature:
- Todd McClay — National
- Jo Luxton — Labour
- Andrew Hoggard — ACT
- Mark Patterson — New Zealand First
- Steve Abel — Green Party
Organisers say the event will be one of the few opportunities to hear directly from all major parties on their vision and plans for rural New Zealand ahead of the general election on 7 November.
B+LNZ: Farmers Need Certainty, Not Policy Swings
B+LNZ chair Kate Acland says the debate provides an opportunity to shine a light on the issues affecting rural New Zealanders.
"We need predictability and certainty to help navigate the turbulent environment that we operate in, not policy swings," Acland says. She says B+LNZ was pleased with progress on reforming the Resource Management Act and on climate change policy, and looked forward to continuing that work with the incoming Government.
Acland says that alongside the priorities outlined in B+LNZ's 2026 Election Manifesto, the organisation wants the next Government to focus on safeguarding and improving market access, and managing supply chain disruptions, to support sheep and beef farmers and red meat exporters through global volatility.
Federated Farmers: "Farmers Don't Need More Promises"
Federated Farmers national president Colin Hurst says farmers need certainty about what the next Government will actually do, rather than further promises.
"This debate is a great chance for politicians to front up to rural New Zealand and explain how their policies will affect the people who feed the country and drive a big part of our economy," Hurst says.
He says farmers would be listening closely to what each party has to say, and expressed hope that politicians would arrive with real detail on what their parties will do, what it will cost, and how it will affect rural businesses.
DairyNZ: Farmers Need Confidence to Invest
DairyNZ chair Tracy Brown says the agricultural sector is a major contributor to the economy and rural communities, and that farmers need confidence to invest for the future.
"When farming succeeds, rural communities thrive and New Zealand benefits through stronger exports, jobs and economic growth," Brown says.
Brown says DairyNZ's election priorities call for practical regulation, a strong focus on science and innovation, and policies that enable productivity growth while continuing environmental progress. She says the debate gives farmers a chance to hear how each party would support those outcomes if elected.
With the general election set for 7 November, the Rural Issues Debate is shaping up as a key moment for rural voters to compare the parties' positions on resource management reform, climate policy, market access, regulation and rural investment — all directly ahead of election day.
