David Carter MP
National Party Agriculture Spokesman

21 November 2007

Farmers call for RMA reform welcomed

National Agriculture spokesman David Carter has welcomed calls from Federated Farmers to substantially reform the 16-year-old Resource Management Act.

“We have recognised for some time that the RMA is a major impediment to the agriculture sector and needs to be reformed.

“Although the core principals of the RMA should remain unchanged, its regulatory processes present a compliance nightmare for farmers.

“The changes highlighted by Federated Farmers largely reflect the proposed amendments to the RMA that National laid out in our Rural Issues Discussion Paper earlier this year.

“These include reducing costs and minimising delays in processing consents, giving greater recognition to property rights, and refocusing the Department of Conservation on core functions.

“New Zealand’s economic future relies on sustainable agriculture, and we look forward to working with Federated Farmers and the entire sector to achieve this.

“Everyone, except the Labour Government, knows the RMA is a source of cost, confusion, and delay to developments in the primary sector.

“It’s an overly bureaucratic, expensive, and time-consuming piece of legislation that is long overdue for an overhaul.

“The Minister of Agriculture and his Cabinet colleagues would do well to start listening to the deafening chorus of discontent sparked by their total inaction on this issue.”

ENDS

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