“ACT’s relentless campaigning for changes to the Winter Grazing Regulations has today paid off,” says ACT’s Primary Production and Ruawai dairy farmer Mark Cameron.

“ACT has been campaigning for changes for about a year, today the Government has finally listened. It was regularly raised at the hundreds of public meetings we have held around the country.

“It was just one of the issues ACT was protesting when all 10 of our MPs took part in the Howl of a Protest last month.

“This Government is so out touch with rural New Zealand, it’s great to see that today it has finally started to listen.

“But we still need to go further. This debacle has shown the problem of letting Wellington set regional regulations.

“My Member’s Bill currently before Parliament would devolve this power to affected regions.

"Farmers are the best custodians of the land and hold animal welfare to the utmost standards.

"Farming practices vary hugely from farm to farm with different topography and soil type. The rules that were set around back fencing, how crops should be sown and livestock kilograms per hectare have shown a lack of understanding.

“ACT will continue to stand up for rural New Zealand, whether it’s fighting to scrap the ute tax, standing up against so-called Significant Natural Areas or opposing a ban on live exports.

“ACT is the loudest voice in Parliament when it comes to standing up for the rights of rural New Zealand. As a dairy farmer myself, I know that farmers are best environmentalists around. We have kept the economy going through COVID. I will keep fighting for the Government to give us a break.”

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