Plan Change 1 substitute in the pipeline Alan Wills
Says Federated Farmers has an alternative to Plan Change 1.
Federated Farmers’ alternative to Plan Change 1 is well advanced in the planning stage. After spending the past year considering and reviewing the science and economic impact of
PC1, our planning team is on the cusp of rolling out a more practicable version of the plan change.
The work that is being done is a farming initiative and is not about compromising the vision and strategy for the river.
It is about a review of the science and a more considered understanding of the four contaminants of greatest concern, and how they impact on the river.
It also considers what fits best for the economic welfare of Waikato.
The thrust of the plan is to make sure that what is required to be done is most relevant and achievable for goal of maintaining and improving quality of water in the river.
It builds on the work of the collaborative stakeholders group and is about a fresh, progressive and advanced look at all the issues.
It has been at least 18 months since the Waikato Regional Council adopted the plan put to it by the collaborative stakeholders group.
The work that is being done by the federation is the only pansector approach on behalf of the rural community.
Other organisations are specifically representing themselves.
Federated Farmers has a strong record of working hard for its members and the rural community in general and if necessary, will see things through to the completion of a court process.
It was the only agricultural organisation that took the Horizons One Plan to the High Court.
Currently, we are fully involved in the Environment Court supporting the Rotorua farmers who are now facing a significant challenge to their very existence in the Lake Rotorua catchment.
Plan Change 1 has been in a holding pattern for some time because of a need for the Waikato Regional Council to revisit the consultation process with Hauraki iwi.
Now that has been done, a broad time line of events to follow is:
❚ Variation 1 (being the part of the lower catchment withdrawn from
PC1 to enable consultation with Hauraki iwi) was notified on April
10 with submissions closing on May 23. ❚ Further submissions on Plan Change 1 and Variation 1 are likely to be in August/September. ❚ The council hearings are expected to start before Christmas but it is likely that the focus preChristmas will be on procedural issues, with the hearings of the more than 1000 submissions likely to take place in the New Year. Putting together a well-considered and constructive alternative plan is an expensive process costing hundreds of thousand dollars for lawyers, planners and experts.
Unfortunately, this process is now at the stage where parties cannot effectively participate without outside experts.
To help fund this we are suggesting that farmers contribute $1000 each, or alternatively dedicate the proceeds of a cull cow towards Federated Farmers’ case.
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