Changing The RMA – A Farming Six Pack

The right to farm under the Resource Management Act is constantly changing. Farmers no longer have confidence a decision made today, concerning the management of natural resources, will be legitimate next week, next year or in five years.

Good farmers are sick of being told how to protect their land in the interest of the national good. The sort of uncertainty this brings is compromising the long term sustainability of farming.

There is a strong will for change from farmers. The following is a six pack for change that would make a real difference for farmers living and farming under the RMA.

1. Reward and Compensate - Changes must be made to the Act (s6) and its implementation that reward good stewardship with flexibility and freedom to farm – write an economic or property rights imperative into the Act to provide for compensation upon protection of more specific national good values.

2. Mandate Consultation - A real effort is required by councils to understand what motivates on farm decision making before writing policies and rules into plans – Memorandum of Understanding with councils or legislate meaningful consultation with landowners.

3. Refine DOC’s Role - There are plenty of advocates for the environment – taxpayer funded advocacy in the planning process by DoC must stop - introduce a concept of net conservation benefit to enable a more holistic approach to on farm conservation management

4. Streamline Process - Plans must encourage responsible farming by minimising those activities that require consent – manage effects not the farm – streamline process by introducing a one stop on farm visit for issuing individual resource consents

5. Encourage Farm Succession - Encourage and enable economically sustainable farming into the future with flexible subdivision policies and innovative use of covenants and transferable development rights that provide a form of compensation for farmers who have restricted land use or are required to manage amenity values in areas determined to be of high landscape value

6. Recognise Farms as Working Landscapes - Farmers who provide public with the use of their land or in areas that are highly visible should not be required to preserve a state purely for public amenity - tone down or remove requirement to protect amenity values in section 7 of the Act

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