One Plan our way
Federated Farmers members in Manawatu-Rangitikei, Wanganui, Tararua and Ruapehu provinces are hot under the collar because their regional council, Horizons is proposing to introduce a new regulatory regime.
The regime
The regime, called One Plan proposes unreasonable restrictions on farming activities. For some farmers this could mean resource consents would be required to farm in the catchment.
Precedent setting
The Horizons' Proposed One Plan has the potential to set a precedent throughout New Zealand with new principles and new policies.
Viability threatened
Federated Farmers is 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 is 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.
Will they listen?
For farmers to support the proposed One Plan the regional council needs to listen to farmers and balance its aim to achieve environmental goals with the achievement of economic, social and cultural goals. The hearing process takes place over the next six months and Federated Farmers is wholly involved.
