But he is asking that the Government give farmers time to implement new freshwater and climate change rules and regulations.
“Don’t give us more stuff, let us deliver this stuff first,” he said.
Morrison says freshwater rules were an example of everyone wanting the same outcome, but disagreeing on how to get there, and B+LNZ will not shy away from the fact it disputes with the route chosen by officials.
Change will only come from talking with officials on this and other areas of concern, such as blanket planting of forestry on productive farmland, which is enabled by climate change and emissions trading policies.
“What is driving blanket afforestation is the ability to carbon farm because the Zero Carbon Act allows 100% carbon offsetting,” he said.
Federated Farmers president Andrew Hoggard says it is in the country’s interests that farmers have a clear direction and certainty.
“We’ve got a hole in the economy from tourism and international students and it does not look like changing anytime in the future, so the country needs agriculture and farmers need confidence to invest in their farms,” he said.
He wants to continue to seek changes and clarification on contentious parts of the essential freshwater reforms including the deadline for resowing cropped paddocks, stock exclusion rules and slope maps.
“It’s crazy to have a date to arbitrarily determine in legislation that soil condition and weather will be perfect for resowing,” he said.
Hoggard says discussions on biodiversity policy are continuing, but he doubts the new rules will not be as onerous as those for freshwater.
“Ourselves and Forest and Bird are involved in that process and it has been a proper process with both sides contributing,” he said.
“With essential freshwater there was a handpicked small group and we were not allowed in and they were not able to talk to anybody.”
Another issue the organisation wants to advance is to ensure farm environment plans are practical and cost effective.
“To be compliant, the hardest thing is proving to the person with a clipboard that you do comply, that you have all the paperwork,” he said.
“Whacking up a fence and planting trees is relatively easy.”
If farm plans are too burdensome it could potentially encourage a move to corporate ownership as such a structure can afford the administration support to deal with compliance.
Dairy NZ chair Jim van der Poel says primary sector leaders must work with politicians and ministry officials.
“We are going to make more progress by the way we are doing it, by working inside the tent rather than outside the tent,” he said.
That is especially true as the industry ensures policies on the Zero Carbon Bill, Essential Freshwater and He Waka Noa are science-based, practical and do not make farmers feel as if they have “been dealt to.”
He believes farmers are being listened to by some ministers and officials.
“Yes, we are having an impact in some of those areas and I think we can have more of an impact if we are allowed to,” he said.
Philip Todhunter, who chairs the High Country Accord representing pastoral lessees, says he hopes the incoming government will understand issues facing his members.
“We would like a minister who is prepared to get out on the ground and listen and take notice of our concerns,” he said.
Former Lands Minister Eugenie Sage introduced major reforms to the Crown Pastoral Lands Act, which farmers say changes from a contract to regulatory basis, reprioritising inherent values ahead of farming values.
Todhunter says he also wants the incoming government to follow through on promises that stock exclusion and fencing rules that are part of the essential freshwater provisions were not intended for hill and high country farms.
“They are onerous rules for wetlands and mean destocking cattle and hundreds of kilometres of fencing,” he said.
