Have a say on rivers plan
The Waikato Regional Council’s Healthy Rivers Wai Ora (Plan Change 1) is now formally adopted and submissions are invited. The original area covered by Plan Change 1 has however been reduced to exclude part of the lower Waikato. If you farm in the Waihou Piako catchment areas the Plan does not affect you so why should you be interested let alone make a submission?
Good question. However the Regional Council staff are already working on Plan Change 2 and this includes all farmers in the Waihou Piako catchment. Will the rules eventually adopted for Plan Change 1 differ greatly from the Waihou Piako? Maybe a little but I predict there will be little change. Therefore every farmer, no matter where you farm in the Waikato, should take a serious interest and make a submission to the current process.
Another reason for making a submission is that Plan Change 1 was written by a Collaborative Stake Holders Group made up of 24 people representing the environmentalists to the do nothing brigade. People from all extremes are expected to make submissions, and if your view is somewhere in the middle your views also need to be heard.
A new report testing the implications of Plan Change 1 was recently done by Federated Farmers. The report showed the cost of compliance ranged from $4,700 up to $785,000. This is another good reason why you should take an interest and make a submission.
Stu Husband, president of Morrinsville Feds organised a meeting in Tauhei last Sunday night. Winston Peters was the guest speaker. Winston spoke strongly against various aspects of Plan Change 1 and with the sudden resignation of John Key I am sure Winston will not remain quiet on this issue.
Submissions can be online or in written form posted to regional council. Submissions close on March 8, 2017.