Farmers win second look at water plan
A group of farmers wanting the Healthy Rivers plan change withdrawn will know within days if their move was successful following a meeting with the Waikato Regional Council.
The farmers from the group, Farmers for Positive Change, the Primary Land Users Group and King Country River Care used the forum to make their case to the elected officials.
Central to their opposition is the use of a nitrogen reference point to determine farm nutrient limits, which they see as a form of grandparenting. This is a policy tool where nutrient limits are allocated based on a landowner’s current or historical nutrient discharge level.
They have called for a more science-based approach for policies around improving water quality. The coalition of farmers collectively claim to represent about 3000 farmers in the Waikato catchments.
The council voted unanimously to refer their concerns to the Healthy Rivers Wai Ora Committee, which will meet ahead of the plan change’s submission deadline on March 8.
Farmers for Positive Change chairman Rick Burke said he was encouraged by the ’’fruitful’’ meeting with the council and their willingness to listen to their concerns about the legislation.
‘‘They got a really good understanding that we are not just pushing back but offering up and challenging them to think about a sustainable solution to manage freshwater quality,’’ he said.
‘‘We’re not angry farmers - we want to see the best for the community and the environment - but we are angry that there are components in that plan change that aren’t going to make it work.’’
Time is also rapidly running out for farmers to get their submissions in on the plan change with the deadline just over a week away on March 8. As of February 27, the council had received 40 submissions on Healthy Rivers.
He predicted a ‘‘wall’’ of submissions ahead of the deadline. Many farmers had written their submissions and were just waiting to hit the ‘send’ button, he said.
‘‘I’m like that, I’m just sitting on mine at the moment.’’
Burke encouraged farmers to still get their submissions in despite the plan change being referred to the committee.
‘‘Their submissions they have written now will be valuable or they can revamp them and put additional submissions in if they need to if the plan was pushed out .’’
Meanwhile, Federated Farmers is continuing to push for the submission date to be delayed so that the Waikato Regional Council can finish their consolation with Hauraki iwi.
The council decided on November 22 to withdraw the Hauraki section of the plan and intended to re-incorporate this area back into the plan change process next year.