Feds calls for immediate release of independent peer review

Federated Farmers is puzzled and frustrated over the failure of the Ministry for the Environment to immediately release the peer review of Essential Freshwater nutrient band technical reports.

"We’re racing the government’s extremely tight submission timeframe to do due diligence on what’s proposed on new freshwater quality regulations, and why," Feds environment spokesperson Chris Allen says.

"The nutrient proposals have generated considerable attention and debate, not just by farmers, and we’re especially keen to understand the technical details underpinning the main report."

On September 8 Federated Farmers asked the MfE for a copy of the independent peer review and was told last Friday (September 13) what was a straight forward query would be treated as a request under the Official Information Act. This gives the Ministry up to 20 days to respond.

"It is sound professional practice to commission independent peer review of core technical elements of proposals like this and the Essential Freshwater documents refer to, and rely on, this review.

"It’s absolutely part of the policy package and should be a public document. We simply don’t understand why the MfE doesn’t release it immediately," Allen said.

ENDS

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