She says high country farmers are facing one of the biggest battles of their lifetime as the reform Bill is proving the best chance of casting aside pastoral farming rights over the environment.
Submissions hearings before the Environment Select Committee are underway, with almost 2000 public submissions to wade through.
“Nearly all of these submissions opposed it, highlighting why the controversial Bill should be turfed,” Dean said.
There is concern the reform Bill is before the Environment Select Committee, chaired by Greens MP Eugenie Sage.
Sage was the Minister in charge of introducing the Bill at its first reading in the previous Parliament.
“Being before the Environment Select Committee with a conflict of interest (for Sage) is a concern being expressed by so many, it will hang over this Bill all the way," Dean said.
“I have tried to address this, but declaring expression of interest is up to the chair (herself).”
Sage did stand aside at the first submissions’ hearing on Thursday while deputy chair, Dunedin-based Labour list MP Rachel Brooking, took the chair.
That was a half-way house for Sage and certainly has not allayed any concern.
“I have clearly expressed the concern, asked questions, and quite frankly, I don’t even know if a lot of attention has been paid (to this Bill), they have just rubber-stamped it,” she said.
High country farmers are outraged over the proposed Bill that would see an end to tenure review and significantly alter regulations on Crown pastoral land.
“It is unnecessary, counter-productive, and potentially unlawful,” Federated Farmers South Island policy manager Kim Reilly said.
Speaking to the Environment Select Committee last Thursday, Reilly said good environmental outcomes and continued sustainable and productive high country farming can, and do, work in harmony.
Under the proposed reform Bill, the existing contractual relationship under the Crown Pastoral Land system based on trust and reciprocity would be replaced by an approach of regulation, policing and enforcement.
“This diminishes the future constructiveness and openness of relationships,” she said.
Mark Cameron | March 23, 2021 from GlobalHQ on Vimeo.
“It reduces the certainty of leases and the incentivisation to continue to invest in enhanced environmental outcomes, given no accompanying or reciprocal ability to address changing pastoral needs is provided for.
“The Bill adds nothing except unnecessary costs, delays, complexity and red tape.
Reilly says there are serious questions around the principles of natural justice, and a significant and unjust erosion of the lessee interests and rights.
Rather than duplicating existing district and regional council consent requirements and restrictions, it would be more sensible to continue to improve resourcing, funding and capability processes for Land Information NZ.
Ian Mackenzie | March 23, 2021 from GlobalHQ on Vimeo.
Reilly says with reform of the RMA on the immediate horizon, it makes sense to wait to see what changes that ushers in.
South Island farmer Jim Greenslade says a flaw of the Bill is that it is a one-size-fits-all approach.
He says it would be far better to have contractually binding and bespoke farm environment plans (FEPs) that take account of local conditions and particular priorities, while avoiding the need for recurring, complex and costly consent applications.
ACT primary industries spokesperson Mark Cameron says the Government is showing extreme arrogance in its stance towards farmers.
“The gap between how this Bill will impact farmers and how the Government is portraying it could not be starker,” Cameron said.
“Farmers are opposed because the Bill allows for a takeover of high country farms by stealth, using concern for the environment as a pretext.”
The Bill gives the Commissioner of Lands excessive control over how they use their land for lawful purposes including business, recreation and tourism and sets up a parallel consenting and compliance system in addition to RMA consenting, Cameron said.
“It’s a solution looking for a problem,” he said.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor is confident the Bill will go through a fair process and based on the wisdom of the submissions, changes will be made where necessary.
“I have kept in close contact with representatives of the High Country Accord and ensured their ability to argue their point and submit properly have been met,” O’Connor said.
“The Select Committee is an independent process, and now as Minister for Lands I look forward to recommendations coming back with an open mind for changes once the objectives of the Bill have been considered.”
