It was obvious at the start that the rules wouldn’t work, but the civil servants continued at pace.
The Southland farmers protested, backed by the local council.
Then Environment Minister and Green MP Eugenie Sage labelled them irresponsible. I’d have called them realistic. I remain unconvinced that Sage has any idea of the practicalities of farming despite the nation relying on the ag sector for its prosperity. I’d have said the same for her department.
The Southland farmers then mounted an excellent campaign. It was hard-hitting but factual and unemotive.
Ministers Damien O’Connor and David Parker listened, with O’Connor making the statement “there are some challenges ahead but I’m confident we’ll get this right. Where the regulations are impractical or unclear we will continue to make adjustments.”
The ministers went to Southland to talk to the affected parties. They set up an advisory group with Environment Southland, farmers, Federated Farmers, councils, Fish & Game and the levy organisations, with input from iwi and Local Government New Zealand. They came up with a plan, which is a credit to the organisations involved.
Then recently Parker and O’Connor released a statement saying the regulations on intensive winter grazing had been put back a year for further consultation.
“The farming sector has agreed to make immediate improvements to intensive winter grazing practices for the coming season and the Government will help them achieve this,” they said.
So a victory for common sense. More importantly is the fact that the Government, farmers, conservation groups and local government worked together to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome.
The reaction to the new system has been interesting.
Federated Farmers was “pleased that the government had taken the time to listen to and understand the practical difficulties that accompanied the Essential Freshwater rules on winter grazing”.
Spokesperson Chris Allen says it was all about ensuring the rules were “practical and workable for farmers, and to achieve the environmental outcomes everyone wants to see”.
Feds would continue to consult.
Greenpeace, determined not to disappoint, said that the decision showed that the Government was “owned by big dairy”.
Big dairy in NZ would be predominantly Fonterra, and to suggest that Fonterra owns the government is both absurd and insane.
They then added that the Government had buckled to “NZ’s dirtiest industry”. They never let facts get in the way of a good rant and they might like to go to Bluff and check out the smelter’s pollution.
Sage had the bit between her teeth telling the nation that there would be “another winter of avoidable pollution and increased emissions from overstocking”. How she knew, she didn’t say.
She was then in full steam claiming “alongside this pollution, cows will suffer in tough conditions, cramped and wallowing in mud where they can’t lie down comfortably”.
Wow.
Farmers want productive stock, without that they are bankrupt. Having cows suffering, wallowing in mud and unable to lie down would mean cows aren’t productive, that’s the reality.
What Sage and Greenpeace conveniently forget is that farmers have spent over one billion dollars of their own money cleaning up waterways. They are committed to the environment.What those groups also forget are the recommendations of the Independent Advisory Panel on the Essential Freshwater proposals.
Their report said that “some of the restrictions are inappropriate and impractical”. That they were ‘too prescriptive’ and that the “pugging standard is impractical to implement or enforce and should not be included”.
Finally, they felt the slope restriction should be 15 degrees and not 10 as originally promulgated.
So what’s changed?
We’ve gone from a dictatorial, prescriptive jackbooted approach to a consultative inclusive situation.
The first approach didn’t work, the consultative deal will.
We’ve gone from a government ignoring the advice of its own independent advisors to one that is now listening.
O’Connor is still Minister of Primary Industries,
Parker is still Minister of the Environment, but instead of Sage as Minister of Conservation and Associate Environment we have Kiri Allan.
The new team seems to have a completely different approach.
Southland Federated Farmers vice-president Bernadette Hunt made the point that “regulation is needed but workable legislation”.
“Now we can concentrate on getting it right this winter and not getting lost in unworkable legislation. That’s positive,” she said.
I’d totally agree. The positives are many. Fish & Game are part of the team, which is great. Southland worked as a united group to get what was best for the province and the environment and the Government listened. That’s good news for everyone.
Long may it continue. Meaningful consultation is the only way we can improve the environment.
