ACT Claims FFP Extension Is Unavoidable
“Figures
collected by ACT show the avalanche of consents David Parker
is going to inflict on councils to meet Freshwater Farm Plan
requirements, his only option is to extend the deadline,”
says ACT’s Primary Industries spokesperson Mark
Cameron. “Documents obtained by ACT through Official
Information Act requests show that Environment Canterbury
(ECAN) has approximately 3,200 farms that will need resource
consents, many of whom will require multiple. Despite this,
ECAN has only received one application. “The
documents also show that of the estimated 3,500 farms that
intensive winter graze in Southland, only three resource
consents have been issued by Environment Southland for
intensive winter grazing in the last five
years. “Meanwhile between Waikato, Hawke’s Bay,
Greater Wellington, Marlborough, West Coast, Nelson, and
Tasman Councils, zero resource consents have been issued for
the estimated 3,900 farms that intensive winter graze in
these areas. “Minister for the Environment David
Parker has previously told me in Parliament that he would
consider an extension but couldn’t commit because he
doesn’t know the scale of farmers affected. “Well
now he knows, and he must surely realise there is no other
option than to issue an extension. “After repeatedly
asking Minister Parker in Parliament to implement an
extension, ACT last week sent him a letter asking once again
for an extension, in light of the new information showing
the scale of the problem. “It is impossible for
councils to work through that many resource consents in
time. What’s more, farmers haven’t made the applications
because they’ve been focussed on trying to get farm plans
in order, but with the November 1st cut-off date fast
approaching it’s estimated more than 40 per cent of
farmers have been unable to get a plan
formulated. “The Government has failed to do its job
and get freshwater farm plans implemented in time. Now
thousands of farmers who have been trying to do the right
thing are left in a position where there only hope is a
costly resource consent which councils are not equipped to
process in time. “What does the Minister want
farmers to do? Should they plant their crops without any
guarantee of consents and risk not being able to graze them
next year? Or would he rather they don’t plant their crops
and create a massive animal welfare and food production
issue just because he doesn’t want to implement an
extension? “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 kept the economy going
through Covid. It’s time the Government gave us a
break.” END Media
Contact: Simon Clarke (027 444
8676)