Photo: RNZ / Demelza Leslie.
Labour continues with it’s rolling red phalanx against farming and horticulture operations. They will dump the National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management in favour of policy based on recommendations made by Environment Court judge David Sheppard in 2010 as water spokesman David Parker confirms.
Federated Farmers water spokesman Chris Allen said he was surprised to learn about the resource consent provision in Labour’s policy, which had less profile than the water royalty charges mooted.
“But take that along with the water charges and they have just added another level of burden and cost on producing food in this country.
“It would seem the $18 cabbage will become more of a reality.”
He also challenged the costs the consent conditions would bring.
“This will require a significant increase in the number of people skilled to work in this area of consenting.
“Even here just in Canterbury right now we cannot get enough of those people, let alone throughout NZ.”
He said Labour’s water package taken in its entirety should have all New Zealanders concerned.
“And it appears to be policy made on the fly.
“We have just learned that some of the largest industrial water users, including soft drink bottlers, will not have to pay for their water.” – Farmers Weekly
As if the rural sector hasn’t been through enough in recent years with earthquakes, drought, floods, constant bombardment from activist groups, low product prices, tighter regulations, mortgagee sales and an alarming suicide rate.
The additional layer of compliance:
- Resource consent for stock increases
- Resource consent for irrigation increases
- Resource consent for fertilizer increases
There seems to be a false perception among urban idealists, perhaps it’s a misguided jealousy….that farmers are literally shitting bank notes, but in reality that is far from the case with fairly tight margins. Labour want to charge the rural sector for water, yet won’t reveal the details around it…now want to add another layer.
Winston Peters is right, voters do have a right to know how much that would be before the election, and not after.
Labour need to drop their Corbyn-esque policies and do something that will benefit the regions, they might even start winning some of those seats for a change.
