At the B+LNZ environment issues roadshow stop in Feilding Jordan said a lot of the work the proposed changes are based on was done in silos, with little or no thought about how they might affect each other or of the cumulative affect of everything happening at once.
“The full impact of the suite has not been considered,” she said.
“That’s not just at a farm level but also a community level.”
Proposals already announced as part of the Government’s Zero Carbon Bill and essential freshwater package will soon be added to by a new biodiversity strategy.
Jordan said it looks like, when coming up with some of the proposals, the experiences of other countries trying to deal with the same problems have not been taken into account either.
“There’s a little bit of re-invention of the wheel.
“Internationally, it’s now less input-based, more on outcomes. Some overseas countries have pulled back on earlier rules and regulations.”
Jordan focused on freshwater and what the proposals will mean for farmers.
One problems farmers might face is that because some of the proposals are so broad they will have unintended consequences for other parts of farming operations.
Another issue is that there are plenty of gaps in information in the proposals, which makes it difficult to know exactly what the implications for farmers will be.
“The devil’s going to be in the detail and a lot of that has not been provided.”
That does not mean farmers should hold back in having their say, she said.
No matter what form the proposals finally take they will have an impact on farm businesses so it is essential farmers get involved with the process directly.
B+LNZ will be making a submission but farmers should do their own, personalising them as much as possible.
“People’s own experiences are more powerful, the personal, pragmatic outcomes.”
If farmers don’t make submissions other points of view could hold more sway.
“There will be other voices at the table so it’s important to make ours heard.”
