Wednesday, 08 April 2015 12:56

Silly pricks

Written by Rural News Group

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Your old mate shook his head in disbelief on hearing an Ashburton farmer was fined $10,000 for removing matagouri bushes without council permission.

Now call Hound a non tree-hugger but, let’s face it, matagouri is hardly a threatened species and it’s not like it’s a ‘500-year-old’ kauri. In fact, matagouri is a real prick of a problem for many farmers, so what is up with the mandarins at Ashburton council? Some critics claim the council has generated revenue from this minor slip-up by applying the Resource Management Act in this way. As a mate of yours truly commented, “No wonder council bureaucrats rarely voice support for RMA reform when they are on to a cash cow like that.”

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