Labour pitches plan to lower farm costs

Labour has promised to invest $50 million in a farm planning framework and a possible costsharing arrangement to help farmers reduce their compliance costs.

The party, which has brought in new freshwater standards farmers have to adhere to during its time in Government, says it will create a ‘‘single planning framework’’ if elected in October.

Labour leader Jacinda Ardern, visiting a farm in Mangata¯whiri, Waikato, yesterday to announce the policy, said Labour would invest $50m for both this farm planning framework, and a costsharing arrangement to reduce compliance costs such as resource consents.

Labour is pitching integrated farm planning – or a single planning framework for farms, which encompasses a farm’s environmental, labour, biosecurity, animal welfare, and health and safety standards – as a ‘‘vital’’ next step in creating a cleaner, carbonneutral agricultural sector.

The three key goals of the policy were the plan itself, online tools and other assistance for farmers, and greater sharing of data across the sector. An integrated farm plan was said to reduce a farmer’s need to get resource consents.

There was little detail on what the possible cost-sharing agreement might look like, but it was expected to be drafted by mid-2021 and that the $50m investment would be a ‘‘core contribution’’ to this agreement.

Ardern said the policy was the ‘‘right thing to do’’, regardless of whether farmers would vote for Labour.

‘‘This is the backbone of our export market, there are huge challenges. We need to show that we are operating sustainability, that we have regenerative farming practices. Our job is to strip away some of the red tape and make it as easy as possible.’’

Labour agriculture spokesman Damien O’Connor said farmers and growers could spend between $5000 and $10,000 developing such a farm plan, and Labour would look to share that cost.

‘‘One of the first farm plan templates to be rolled out will seek to replace the consent process for intensive winter grazing,’’ he said. ‘‘Working with the regional councils and the industry, we will design a template that makes applying for intensive winter grazing consent much easier or, over time, supersedes the need for the consent process.’’