Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) says it supports the need for Resource Management Act (RMA) reform but is seeking clarity from the Government on specifics of the proposed replacement that could potentially impact sheep and beef farmers.
Chair Kate Acland says B+LNZ welcomes the proposal’s emphasis on property rights and the move to place less emphasis on consenting and more on permitted activities.
“However, we have concerns on some key points and we need to see more detail on those.
“We’re strongly opposed to using mechanisms such as allocation of tradeable rights to individual farms, or cap and trade systems, as a way of addressing water quality issues. These mechanisms will be expensive, complex and unworkable.
Overseas examples have shown market-based models can lead to unintended consequences, driving further intensification of already intensive systems at the expense of extensive farming systems. This may leave stranded land assets or further afforestation in our hill country.
“We also have concerns about setting environmental limits at a national level, as B+LNZ’s work on the suspended fine sediment national bottom lines last year showed national limits can be deeply flawed and unachievable – using them as the basis for a system and relying on people to trade their way out is particularly worrying.”
Acland says B+LNZ is also concerned about proposed changes to fines which could see a significant increase in what farmers could be fined for, regardless of whether any failings were intentional or not.
“While we support the move to rely less on consenting, we have concerns the emphasis will instead be on increased compliance and monitoring and enforcement by a national entity, rather than by regional councils as is currently the case.
“We need a regionally tailored, risk-based system that’s centred around allowing farmers to manage relevant issues on their individual farms in a simple way.
“We’ll be seeking further discussions with Ministers and officials on these issues, to ensure that sheep and beef farmers are considered in the development of the new RMA framework.
“While we welcome attempts to simplify, we also need enduring policies that provide long-term certainty for farmers.”
ENDS
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