Federated Farmers of New Zealand

 

Southland

Introduction

Federated Farmers Southland represents local farmers' views at three district councils and one regional councils.

Main issues

The main issues in our province are to do with the growing bureaucracy and the ever increasing rates and the way the Resource Management Act is being interpreted, especially in regard to the water plan and the discharge plan.

Transitional region wide policy and rules - Environment Southland have proposed a transitional region wide policy on new dairy conversions and intensification of existing dairy farms. Federated Farmers and DairyNZ have asked Council to defer the implementation of this policy until there has been the opportunity to fully consult on the proposal, and discuss potential alternatives. Council has subsequently deferred the adoption of the proposal until April 2012, and will consult with farmers and stakeholders in the interim. To have your say, contact Matt Harcombe at mharcombe@fedfarm.org.nz

Waituna - Federated Farmers is working with catchment landowners, regional council and other stakeholders to develop a response to issues in the Catchment. We fully support the establishment of a resourced Waituna catchment liaison committee (comprised of catchment farmers) to set works programmes, sequence the work, and target the budget to best use within the catchment, and the implementation of on-farm plans to provide farmers with specific, effects-based actions on their properties. We have also supported Council's application to central government's clean-up fund, as recognition of the importance of the lagoon as a designated RAMSAR wetland. To have your say, contact Matt Harcombe at mharcombe@fedfarm.org.nz

Gore District Council Roading Bylaw - Hearings on the draft Bylaw took place recently, after we lodged a submission and worked with Council over a period of two years to develop a workable solution to an earlier and onerous bylaw.  While it is effectively stronger regulation of what many farmers have been doing for generations, the current bylaw looks to cover off Council's concerns while remaining as workable as possible for farmers. To have your say, contact Matt Harcombe at mharcombe@fedfarm.org.nz

GDC representation review - Gore District is currently reviewing their representation arrangements for the District. The proposed amendments show little change apart from the expansion of the Gore and Mataura wards to ensure that the wards sufficiently meet the requirements of the Local Electoral Act 2001, that the population that each member represents must be within the range of 1444 +/- 10 percent (1299 to 1588), unless there is a particular community of interest that deserves separate representation. To have your say, contact David Cooper at dcooper@fedfarm.org.nz

Invercargill City Council District Plan review - rural area - Invercargill City Council has opted to undertake a rolling review of its District Plan, meaning that the Plan is  being reviewed in parts.  The first main area of review was of the provisions relating to the Rural area. Federated Farmers submitted on this process in late to ensure the proposals recognised the importance of farm production and any controls on the land were reasonable and balanced. To have your say or for a copy of our submission, please contact David Cooper at dcooper@fedfarm.org.nz

Provincial newsletters

To download a copy of the latest provincial media release, newsletter and column, please click here.

Contact the Executive

Field Officer

Regional Policy Advisors

Federated Farmers 2011-2012 Directory

To download a copy of Federated Farmers 2011-2012 Directory click on the PDF below.

Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter featuring latest news, events and notices