That is the promise of the party’s agriculture spokesperson David Bennett, who says farmers are being hindered by current government policies.
“We want to give farmers confidence a National Party-led government will work with them and listen,” he said.
“Any business wants a government that works with them, delivers infrastructure and what we’re doing for farmers is what we’re doing for every other business in NZ.”
Announcing its policy in Gisborne on Thursday, party leader Judith Collins says the primary sector has been taken for granted but the economic impact of the pandemic shows its importance.
Bennett said in an interview that a National-led government will review the freshwater regulations, promote water storage and replace the Resource Management Act (RMA).
A rethink of freshwater policies will, where possible, take a regional rather than a one-size fits all approach.
His primary concerns are nitrogen limits, which it describes as unscientific and arbitrary, intensive winter grazing rules, cropping restrictions based on slope and stock exclusion requirements.
“The whole point of our freshwater approach is to move away from government promoted rules which are arbitrary, and do not take account of practices, regions or areas,” he said.
“We want to be able to give farmers room and get to a point where they feel the rules are achievable and practical.”
Bennett says the RMA has hindered the development of water storage, which the party views as crucial to communities and growing horticultural exports.
“New Zealand needs to grow its way out of the covid-19 crisis and we need water storage,” he said.
The party’s proposed National Infrastructure Bank will be tasked with investing in medium-sized water storage that meet rural, urban and environmental goals.
It also plans to address long-held concerns with the Zero Carbon Act, which it voted for in the last Parliament, and the Emissions Trading Scheme.
These include ending the favourable Overseas Investment Office treatment of foreign forestry investors and allowing carbon emitters to offset their emissions by planting trees or carbon farming.
The 2022 review of progress of the He Waka Eke Noa emissions reduction agreement between the primary sector and the Government will be abolished.
Bennett says the agreement was entered into under good faith and the Government should not have the ability to impose its will before the 2025 deadline.
National wants to explore options suggested by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment for pricing and dealing with methane, such as treating it separately from carbon dioxide under the Zero Carbon Act.
A review of the Act will include reference to greenhouse gas mitigation not threatening food production and provision to take account of the emission reduction actions of other countries, and the economic impact when setting carbon budgets.
A National-led government will seek access to markets in Asia, a free trade agreement with the USA, conclude trade agreements with the UK and European Union and progress the Pacific Alliance, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and ASEAN Free Trade Agreement upgrade.
On the labour front, it will allow skilled and seasonal workers into NZ.
It promises better access to health for rural communities and part of that will be seeking requests for the establishment of a graduate entry medical school focused on retaining general practitioners in rural areas.
Labour’s agriculture spokesperson Damien O’Connor labelled the policies “old school.”
“It’s old school, old hat and really would take us back to the past,” he said.
