The following was emailed to farmers on 13 July.
Following the Government’s refusal to pause work on the Indigenous Biodiversity National Policy Statement (NPSIB) or extend its consultation period, B+LNZ is working on a submission to ensure our sector’s views are heard. We’ll publish this when it’s ready.
The consultation period closes at 11.59pm on 21 July 2022, and you can also make your own submission.
We oppose the approach the NPSIB takes to managing indigenous biodiversity, with our main concern being that the criteria for identifying Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) remains too broad. The proposed criteria would include vast areas of native biodiversity, and this would be hugely restrictive for farmers.
What you can do
- Make your own submission – we’ve now published guidance on how to do this on our website. Access it here (PDF, 187KB)
- Help inform B+LNZ’s submission – we’re interested in more real-life examples of farmers integrating indigenous biodiversity into their farming systems, to further strengthen our submission. We’ve developed a brief survey containing four targeted questions. Complete our survey here.
- Contact your local MP – tell them your concerns.
Key points could include:
- The criteria for SNAs are still too broad.
- More time is needed to test the effects of this and to get the rules right before it creates issues.
- Our sector is hugely supportive of indigenous biodiversity but we don’t believe that the draft legislation will achieve its intended aims.
- The Government needs to slow down its ambitious environmental policy agenda and make sure that policies are not developed in silos but integrate effectively with each other.
B+LNZ’s related work
- We continue to pressure the Government to pause and/or extend the consultation period on the NPSIB exposure draft.
- We’re also working with other primary sector groups to ensure we are coordinated and effective.
We’re also working on getting good media coverage on this issue:
- Sam recently spoke to Mike Hosking on Mike Hosking Breakfast – Newstalk ZB and to Today FM. Our story ran in this week’s edition of Farmers Weekly (p.9), along with several other media outlets.
- We have also been in contact with experts like David Norton from the University of Canterbury. In this week’s edition of Farmers Weekly (p.23), Professor Norton criticised the NPSIB, noting that the criteria proposed for identifying SNAs is too broad.
See also our previous email about the NPSIB.
Sam McIvor, B+LNZ CEO / Andrew Morrison, B+LNZ Chair