Farmers meet about changes

WEST COAST

THE new farmers’ lobby group Groundswell visited the West Coast this week, amid growing concerns farmers will soon need a consent for ‘‘everything they do’’.

The group was formed from last year’s 120strong Gore tractor protest against the Government’s ‘‘onesizefitsall’’ freshwater rules and what was seen as the unjustified state control of farming practices.

The group spelt out the issues to a meeting of about 80 West Coast farmers gathered at Shantytown on Wednesday.

Concerns were national rules regarding the timing of feed crop planting, stock exclusion, feed pads, land uses, forage crop grazing, nitrogen use and intensive winter grazing, as well as the surveying of farmland for significant natural areas (SNAs).

However, while speakers teased out their concerns, they admitted a definite plan for what to do next was still being formulated.

Farmer Laurie Paterson, who helped lead the Gore protest, labelled the Government’s Essential Freshwater Package as idealistic, impracticable and unworkable.

Farmers were also under fire with the high country tenure review, the Inland Revenue Department’s new tax rules for farm sales and purchases, and impending climate change regulations, Mr Paterson said.

‘‘The problem is, farmers will have to have a consent for everything they do.’’

Groundswell committee member Jamie McFadden said the community already had the tools to turn around dirty rivers and waterways.

Forming monitoring groups, finding pollution hotspots, establishing a reporting hotline and encouraging best practice had shown success.

Concerns from West Coast farmers included the proposed reduction in farmers’ use of nitrogen, which would reduce productivity, and young people being deterred from entering the industry because of overregulation. — Greymouth Star