Federated Farmers presented its post-election policy rewind wishlist.
It proposed 12 policy reforms, including rethinking the Emissions Trading Scheme’s forestry standards and net-zero objectives, eliminating the ute tax, modifying freshwater restrictions, and reforming the Resource Management Act.
President Wayne Langford said the demand followed significant rural regulatory change.
“The intent of these regulations may have been good, but the reality of the execution and implementation has been nothing short of disastrous for our farmers,” Langford said.
“The consequence is a long list of extremely restrictive and impracticable laws that tie us up in red tape and add unneeded expenditures.
“We just want the government to get the settings right so farmers can invest, grow, and focus on farming.”
National’s first 19 farm-focused policies were released in April
Langford looked forward to discussing new rules with farmers at Fieldays at Mystery Creek next week.
“We’ve had a few sneak peeks, so I’d encourage farmers to keep an eye on the papers next week, and I’ll be up at Fieldays, so anyone there can pull me aside and tell me what you think about what’s coming out.”
“I think you’ll see some of the policy announcements over the next three months before the election reflect the work they’ve been doing as well.”
Federated Farmers’ policy shift was an urgent methane goal review, as National’s agricultural spokesman Todd McClay called government-industry cooperation He Waka Eke Noa “dead” and Wayne Langford called it “sleepy” this week.
“I am anxious about where they believe it will go and just the degree of involvement for such an important issue, right? The farming industry wants things cleaned up as much as everybody else, but we’re being held up by a silent administration that’s not providing us the answers.”
Federated Farmers’ 12 next-government policy priorities:
- Support better use of technologies
- Unlock potential through water storage
- Allow young farmers to access their KiwiSaver
- Urgently review our methane targets
- Rethink our ETS forestry rules and net-zero target
- Scrap the ute tax and fix our infrastructure
- Give back control to local communities
- Fix our unworkable freshwater rules
- Get RMA reform right
- Simplify Significant Natural Areas
- Build the farmer workforce
- Show fiscal and monetary discipline