No extension for ES plan submissions

Federated Farmers has requested an extension of time to allow farmers to make submissions to Environment Southland’s proposed Water and Land Plan but the council is unable to grant one.

Federated Farmers Southland president Alan Baird said the plan could have huge implications on the way farmers worked their land.

They needed more time to consider the plan and make submissions, he said.

‘‘I’m a little bit cross that they’ve put a lot of pressure on farmers to understand the plan and make submissions.

‘‘They had seven months between releasing the draft and releasing the proposed plan and they have given us less than two months to try and interpret what they’ve done.’’

Federated Farmers had prepared a 60-page submission to the plan, which left little time of help farmers.

Baird said he emailed Environment Southland chief executive Rob Phillips on Sunday,l appealing for more time for submissions to be prepared. ‘‘He wasn’t willing to make that available to everyone but said they could perhaps look at it on a case-by-case basis.’’

Environment Southland policy, planning and regulatory services director Vin Smith said extending the submission closing date was more challenging than it seemed.

‘‘There is a council resolution for the closing date, so to change that would require another resolution, which can only be made at a council meeting.

‘‘The next one of these happens after the current closing date,’’ Smith said.

Smith said submitters were able to lodge late submissions which may be accepted by the chief executive, however there needed to be a valid reason.

Submissions close on August 1.