Horizons' One Plan
Horizons Regional Council One Plan, which has being the subject of a long and complicated mediation process, has now come to the end of the scheduled mediation sessions and the revised positions of the parties involved in the mediation process have been drafted.
The Land Chapters
As the One Plan was notified Federated Farmers had some serious reservations about the proposed activity status for what was deemed intensive farming. As originally proposed intensive farming incorporated dairy, irrigated sheep and beef, commercial vegetable growing and also cropping. Once the hearing process was completed back in 2010 the revised decisions version of the plan was released and by all accounts it was substantially better for farmers.
The mediation process on the water chapters has recently been completed. Although Federated Farmers raised some concerns regarding the rule stream under chapter 13 we were relatively comfortable about where the plan was moved to by the independent commissioners through the hearing process. Through the mediation process there has been a significant push back from other parties with an interest in the One Plan water provisions. Some other parties have a clear desire to return to a framework and rule stream far similar to the notified version.
Federated Farmers staff and elected representatives will continue to fight hard to retain the ground that was initially won through the submissions and hearing process but it is inevitable that portions of the One Plan will end up in front of the environment court where a final decision will be made.
We sincerely hope that any matters that do go all the way to the environment court will be considered in a similar light by the judge as they were the first time through the process when the independent commissioners made there decisions. Federated Farmers on the whole are more comfortable with the decisions version than any positions put forward by other parties at the mediation table but we will continue to engage with those parties in the hope that we will find some middle ground acceptable to all stakeholders.
It is likely that the One Plan will be put before the Environment Court sometime between March and May 2012 a full five years since it was first notified.
The water issues
As the One Plan was notified Federated Farmers had some serious reservations about the proposed activity status for what was deemed intensive farming. As originally proposed intensive farming incorporated dairy, irrigated sheep and beef, commercial vegetable growing and also cropping. Once the hearing process was completed back in 2010 the revised decisions version of the plan was released and by all accounts it was substantially better for farmers.
The mediation process on the water chapters has recently been completed. Although Federated Farmers raised some concerns regarding the rule stream under chapter 13 we were relatively comfortable about where the plan was moved to by the independent commissioners through the hearing process. Through the mediation process there has been a significant push back from other parties with an interest in the One Plan water provisions. Some other parties have a clear desire to return to a framework and rule stream far similar to the notified version.
Federated Farmers staff and elected representatives will continue to fight hard to retain the ground that was initially won through the submissions and hearing process but it is inevitable that portions of the One Plan will end up in front of the environment court where a final decision will be made.
We sincerely hope that any matters that do go all the way to the environment court will be considered in a similar light by the judge as they were the first time through the process when the independent commissioners made there decisions. Federated Farmers on the whole are more comfortable with the decisions version than any positions put forward by other parties at the mediation table but we will continue to engage with those parties in the hope that we will find some middle ground acceptable to all stakeholders.
It is likely that the One Plan will be put before the Environment Court sometime between March and May 2012 a full five years since it was first notified.
Viability threatened
Federated Farmers was concerned that restrictions to achieve proposed One Plan objectives threatens economic activity in the region, in particular the viability of farming.
Scrutiny and submissions
The purpose of Federated Farmers' One Plan campaign was to raise awareness on issues in the plan for members. Farmer leaders and policy advisors from Federated Farmers have spent thousands of hours scrutinizing One Plan and have submitted on 13 of the 18 One Plan chapters.
Members are concerned the practicalities of farming are not being considered and regulation is being developed before research has been done.
New Zealand farmers are already actively managing the environment and are doing the best they can with the tools they have. Every year farmers fund millions of dollars worth of research looking for solutions where adverse impact is obvious and measurable.
New Zealand farmers are world leaders
Pastoral farming is acknowledged as the way of future as it has a much lower carbon footprint than the other types of farming practised around the world. Grass and water are renewable resources and New Zealand farmers are extremely good at managing these.
