Healthy Rivers Wai Ora Plan Change 1
Healthy Rivers Plan Change 1 is proving to be a huge issue for farmers in the catchment.
We think the plan change needs a complete re-think to ensure that regulations are sensible, practical and affordable. They also need to be tailored to the particular water quality issues in each sub-catchment.
Our fundamental concern is that the Proposed Plan Change will not only result in a significant overshoot of water quality targets but also it will impose unreasonable and unnecessary costs on farmers.
Rural industry bodies, businesses and farmers are looking at Federated Farmers to take leadership by developing an alternative planning framework as well as coordinating and collaborating with all rural interests. Federated Farmers is the only pan sector rural organisation working on this.
It is only by presenting a unified and cohesive alternative that we will succeed in having Plan Change 1 changed in farmers’ favour.
This requires significant funding. Any funding donated will go towards experts’ costs and participating in the Council and Environment Court hearing processes. As part of our coordination with other rural interests, we will aim to avoid duplication and share resources where we can. This will be used above the considerable investment Federated Farmers is already spending into PC1 via scientists and RMA lawyers.
Any surplus at the end of the Court process will be applied towards implementation of Plan Change 1 and/or the costs of participating in future plan healthy rivers changes e.g. Plan Changes 2 and 3.
Due to the impact PC1 could have on your farm we suggest, as a guidance, that farmers each donate $1,000. However, we are extremely grateful for any support you are able to give us for this project.