Federated Farmers of New Zealand

March 2010

Released 31 Mar 2010

South Island Policy Update

South Island Policy Update (SIPUP) is a regular email designed to let you know what the South Island Federated Farmers Regional policy team has been doing for you. Hopefully this will encourage some kitchen, yard or pub talk about the challenges to your businesses and the importance of supporting a strong advocacy voice. The work carried out by your regional policy team is core business for Federated Farmers. Here is a summary of some of the key issues we've been working on for you over the past couple of months.

Environment Southland water charges - Environment Southland (ES) has again indicated they will be looking at implementing charges on maximum consented allocation for water users in Southland. We batted these charges off last year, but there have been changes to the proposal this time around, including the level of the charges and the costs to be recovered. Federated Farmers supports ES attributing costs to those who benefit or cause a need for a council activity. However, the charges need to be more transparent and discussed in greater detail with those will be most affected by them. Monitoring the state of the region's waterways is a regulatory responsibility for Council and it benefits all ratepayers, not just water users. Robust and open consultation is the only way of deciding what proportion (if any) of those costs should be attributed to consent holders. For more information, please contact David Cooper by clicking here.

West Coast wetlands - Federated Farmers has been working with the West Coast Regional Council, the Department of Conservation, Forrest and Bird, Solid Energy and Friends of Shearer Swamp to resolve disputes relating to how wetlands should be managed in the region.  A number of wetlands on private land have been identified as significant and Federated Farmers is working to ensure that any rules developed are practical, effects based and do not unnecessarily impede on farming activities. For more information, please contact Anna Mackenzie by clicking here.

Dunedin City amends earthworks controls - Dunedin City Council has notified a change to the way it tries to manage larger scale earthworks in the city. This can impact on farmers when constructing new tracks and fence lines and maintaining areas around yards and sheds. Federated Farmers is submitting to the plan change to make sure any regulations are sensible and do not unnecessarily delay or inhibit the development and maintenance of essential farm infrastructure. For more information, please contact Matt Harcombe by clicking here.

Waimakariri River Plan compromises future of irrigation - This plan change sets out a new flow and allocation regime for the Waimakariri River. The proposed flow and allocation regime would make it very difficult to take water from the river for storage and compromises the implementation of the water storage/infrastructure component of the Canterbury Water Management Strategy. Federated Farmers, along with Irrigation NZ submitted strongly on the proposed plan change and met with Environment Canterbury (ECan) to express concern and to advocate for an alternative approach.  ECan has now committed to a more ‘storage-friendly' approach. A hearing is scheduled for mid April 2010. Federated Farmers will be preparing and presenting evidence at the hearing. For more information, please contact Lionel Hume by clicking here.

Flood protection needs to be fairly funded - Strong attendance at two community consultation meetings gave Taieri farmers a firm mandate to work with Otago Regional Council (ORC) to develop a more equitable system for funding flood protection and drainage scheme expenditure. Farmers want Council to review all rating classifications to make sure everyone is paying their fair share, review some of the proposed capital expenditure to make sure the costs are outweighed by the benefits and to review the way the assets are categorised to ensure the correct ratepayers are paying for the right assets. While ORC has committed to a review of the rating classification they're spending millions based on an antiquated rating classification and this reclassification has to happen sooner rather than later. For more information, please contact David Cooper by clicking here.

Environment Canterbury limits seasonal water use - Canterbury's Natural Resources Regional Plan (NRRP) sets seasonal limits on the use of water for irrigation. The methodology which currently underpins these limits is flawed. Federated Farmers is working hard with ECan to enable consent applicants to access a more appropriate model (Irricalc) to set their seasonal limits and to get this model incorporated into the NRRP. For more information, please contact Lionel Hume by clicking here.

Farm dairy effluent management in Southland - In a move that continues to be watched by councils around the country, Environment Southland has proposed to move the way they regulate the application of dairy farm effluent to land to a risk based framework, based on soil type. Federated Farmers members and staff have been a critical part of the Dairy Industry team developing the new policy and associated consent conditions. The move, which will be workshopped with farmers in June, looks to encourage farmers to adopt either storage or low rate systems to reduce the risk of having to apply effluent to saturated soils or in higher rates on sloping soils. The new policy framework relies on mapping soils and developing a set of default consent conditions to reduce transaction costs and increase certainty during the consent process. For some farmers, holding off making decisions on storage this will be good news depending on the soil type and may reduce the amount of investment required. There has been a huge investment in time to make this policy process robust. For more information, please contact Matt Harcombe by clicking here.

Banks Peninsula farming landscapes under fire again - Christchurch City Council, which now incorporates farmers on Banks Peninsula, has prepared a draft open space strategy to allow for more public open spaces and linkages between existing open spaces. For farmers on Banks Peninsula this strategy is very uncertain and its relationship with statuary planning documents is unclear. The strategy raises a number of issues in relation to public access, in particular the identification of private land for future potential public use without prior consultation with landowners. Federated Farmers has made submissions on this strategy and will be appearing at a hearing in the near future. For more information, please contact Anna Mackenzie by clicking here.

Southern rates reduction waiting in wings - Invercargill City Council's Finance and Policy Committee has finally acknowledged the huge cost and concern to the city's farmers as a result of farmer's rates doubling in 2009. The committee has recommended a differential change which will effectively halve farmer's rates for 2010/11. The recommendation has yet to be adopted by Council or accepted by the wider community through the Annual Plan process. Council have also committed to a fundamental review of their funding policies to ensure the rating system will not be at the whim of changing valuations. Long term solutions include better use of targeted rates and a wider use of uniform annual charges. To achieve results like this takes literally hundreds of hours of investment of staff and members time but represent the real value of farmer's investment in a Federated Farmers membership. For more information, please contact David Cooper by clicking here.

Hurunui potential for irrigation under threat - The application for a Water Conservation Order on the Hurunui River has reached the Environment Court stage. Court hearings are scheduled late May through to late July. Federated Farmers appealed the decision of the Special Tribunal. During the Environment Court process we will be working closely with Hurunui Water Project and Amuri Irrigation Co Ltd. Federated Farmers will be calling witnesses to demonstrate the economic, social and environmental value of irrigation and the development of water infrastructure and storage. For more information, please contact Lionel Hume by clicking here.

Otago develops second leader's course - Four years ago Federated Farmers Otago ran a successful leadership course in Wanaka. The aim was to bring a few people together and expose them to some top thinkers. By investing time and money in people the future leadership of the province remains strong. A repeat of the course in planned for 28, 29 and 30 April 2010. Letters have just gone out to potential attendees, but if you haven't received one, you farm in the Otago province and you want to be a part of Federated Farmers future then you can register your interest for future courses by clicking here.

Banks Peninsula helicopter landing restrictions - This plan variation seeks to restrict the use of helicopter landings on the Peninsula to avoid noise and nuisance problems in and around urban areas. Potentially this could restrict farming and forestry activities in close proximity to urban areas. Federated Farmers attended a hearing in early February seeking that the planners recommendation to exclude farming from the provisions be accepted, that forestry be included in the exclusion and that more appropriate mapping be used when making the decision. We are expecting a decision this month. For more information, please contact Anna Mackenzie by clicking here.

Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS) - Federated Farmers has worked with the CWMS Steering Group to discuss the strategy targets. Targets address water quality, irrigated land area, ecology, water use efficiency, energy security and efficiency and Kaitiakitanga. The purpose of these discussions is to confirm areas of agreement and to identify and work on points of difference, to ensure that the targets are fair, achievable and cost-effective. Revised targets, and economic analysis, have been published and comments are invited by 16 April. Work on the governance structures is proceeding rapidly, with the first zone committee being currently established in the Hurunui District. For more information, please contact Lionel Hume by clicking here.

Managing stock on roads around Gore - Gore District Council has come back to us with a revised stock droving bylaw after we raised issues with their initial proposal in 2008. We are reviewing the document to ensure it is not unnecessarily costly or prohibitive for our members. Provisionally we hope to meet with Council in mid April so that Gore farmers have certainty around how they need to manage stock movements on the district's roads. For more information, please contact David Cooper by clicking here.

Queenstown boss to attend forum - Recent arrival to Queenstown Lakes District Council, Debra Lawson, will be hosted by farmers at a mini forum in May to outline some of the challenges of farming in a heavily regulated environment. This will also coincide with Council undertaking wider consultation on how the district plan deals with rural issues. You can read more about this process by clicking here or if you want to be part of the forum or have feedback on proposed rural changes, you can contact Matt Harcombe by clicking here.

Kaikoura Environmental Flows - Farmers are concerned that the proposed flow regimes put forward in Variation 5 of ECan's Natural Resource Plan will have substantial adverse effects on their ability to take water for irrigation. They are also concerned about attempts by other submitters to increase the proposed minimum flows and about the lack of verification of the science on which the proposed minimum flows were based. Further hydrological assessment and seven day mean annual low flow estimates have recently become available and a hearing is scheduled for 29 April. Federated Farmers is investing a fair amount of time in analysing the impacts of the plan on members and developing submissions and evidence to present to the hearings. For more information, please contact Lionel Hume by clicking here.

Selwyn District Council - In response to greater pressures for lifestyle blocks under 4ha around small towns in the Selwyn District,  the District Council is seeking to undertake a plan change to allow for more rural residential sections. Federated Farmers has provided comments requesting that the cost of additional infrastructure and roading not be borne by rural landowners and that consideration of reverse sensitivity and manageable allotment size limits needed to be made by Council. Federated Farmers will be making a formal submission when new planning provisions are notified. For more information, please contact Anna Mackenzie by clicking here.

Managing fire in Otago - Key members and staff met with an independent consultant looking into a reform of fire districts in Otago. Farmers outlined the critical importance of retaining the use of fire as a land management tool, the frustration of the requirement to obtain multiple permits from different agencies and outlining the critical role the landowner can play during a large fire. For more information, please contact Matt Harcombe by clicking here.

Christchurch groundwater protection zones - A change to the regional plan, Variation 6, is designed to protect the unconfined aquifers to the west of Christchurch which comprise the Christchurch groundwater recharge zone. Federated Farmers is supportive of protecting the groundwater recharge zone but submitted against measures which would inhibit routine farming operations. Hearings on variation 6 are scheduled for mid April. For more information, please contact Lionel Hume by clicking here.

Waimakariri District Council rates - Federated Farmers has been in ongoing discussions with Council staff and Councillors over the comparative rates increase for rural landowners in the province. We have been seeking Council reverse the decrease to the Uniform Annual General Charge and make better use of targeted rates to improve this disparity. The draft Annual Plan has been released for consultation and we will be making a submission in conjunction with ongoing lobbying to Councillors. A meeting with farmers was held on 11 March to discuss the rates issue and assist with individual submissions. For more information, please contact Anna Mackenzie by clicking here.

Federated Farmers goes into bat for farmers in appeal on wind farm - Meridian Energy was declined consent for its Central Otago wind farm last year. One of the key reasons for declining the project was that Meridian had not considered the costs and benefits of alternatives to the project. They appealed the decision on this point. Federated Farmers has some real concerns about what the decision might also mean for farmers, in terms of costs and delays, especially those in landscape areas, where farmers have no alternative but to undertake the activity in a specific area. For this reason we have supported Meridian in their appeal to the high court. For more information, please contact Matt Harcombe by clicking here.

Environmental flows - Pareora River - Over the past year Federated Farmers has been  a member of a steering group, comprising a cross-section of people with interests in and knowledge about the river (including irrigators), that has worked to develop a recommended flow regime for the river which addresses the range of environmental, economic, social and recreational issues associated with the river. A workshop has been held to update Council about progress on the environmental flow review and to present the recommendations of the steering group. ECan staff will now make recommendations to council by mid April, with a view to notifying a plan variation in July. The steering group has asked that it be kept fully informed up to the notification stage, including having the opportunity to comment on the draft variation before it is notified. For more information, please contact Lionel Hume by clicking here.

Transpower update

Grid upgrades - Federated Farmers is working hard to get a better deal for landowners dealing with new pylons or upgrades of established lines. In the lower South Island the duplexing of the Roxburgh to Islington line has already proved controversial in terms of access and compensation. Federated Farmers is presently seeking the views of farmers affected by the next stage of that project. The Electricity Commission is soon to announce whether it intends to approve that next stage or not. Federated Farmers is calling for a public meeting with the Commission to air landowner concerns before the final decision is made.

Hot off the press - Federated Farmers is developing a model easement agreement for landowners negotiating an easement with Transpower. The aim is to help our members in their negotiations by giving them a reasonable and fair basis to work from. The model agreement should be available within the next two months.

Want the current wire - Feds has also updated its fact sheets on the rights and obligations of landowners and Transpower in new and existing line situations. They are available to members on our website or on 0800 327 646. For more information, please contact Nigel Billings by clicking here.

But wait, there's more! - No steak knives, but we're getting a handle on those serrated off-farm and regulatory expenses that can cut your profitability!

In the past couple of months we have also -

• Submitted in general support of the rewritten Buller livestock movements bylaw.
• Met with West Coast Regional Council to discuss proposed provisions to reduce phosphorus loading in Lake Brunner.
• Submitted to Environment Southland's farm landfill review to ensure that they don't use unnecessary regulations to solve non-issues.
• Presented to a Land Treatment Collective conference on farmers motivations and the policy framework surrounding the application of farm dairy effluent.
• Submitted to Tasman's Waimea River Park Plan in support of continued grazing on leased land and exclusion of unauthorised vehicles from the park.
• Met with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) policy staff to discuss the concerns for agriculture in 2010.
• Made a submission on the Tasman Regional Land Transport Strategy seeking better provisions for heavy vehicles and a framework for determining funding allocations for road maintenance and extension works.
• Took a seat on an Environment Southland (ES) compliance flight and discussed compliance issues with ES Councillors and staff.
• Met with Fish and Game Otago staff to talk about common positions and where we'll be agreeing to disagree.
• Attended the Waimumu field days, giving us a chance to talk to real people about real issues.

Council annual plans - Every year when the local government consultation process rolls around we know it will mean big hours and plenty of work, because this is one of the key areas where we can be effective for you. The annual plan process is a chance to have a say on what councils are doing and more importantly what they're planning to do, how they're spending your money and how much of your money they'll be rating off hard working farmers. This year we will be analysing and submitting on 26 Annual Plans in the South Island alone. What can you do? You can either make a submission yourself, get in touch with the Federated Farmers policy team with your thoughts - or both! The following is a list of South Island councils and the person responsible for analysing and submitting on that council's annual plan. Click on the staff member's name to send them an email.

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