Our contribution to saving the planet

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

This region has already gone through a total change in land use for environmental reasons, aimed at protecting our diminishing resource base. We are now having to look at helping to save the planet through “world-first” agricultural emissions taxes.

The switch to forestry was primarily because erosion was making pastoral farming unsustainable. The downstream ramifications were also calamitous.

To achieve this, pastoral farmers suffered far more than their share. Stock numbers farmed over the region have been reduced by the thousands.

On top of the loss to farmers and the meat export industry, rural depopulation escalated, involving hundreds of skilled rural workers, associated businesses, schools, transport providers, hospitals etc.

In their place, and to remedy the erosion problem, forestry took over. There still isn't any other sector that could achieve what was needed.

The farming survivors from our change in land use are now faced with the methane emissions saga, and being looked on as an integral part of a workable balance for the country.

This methane emissions tax is a direct challenge to survival for the farming enterprises left on the Coast — many of whom have done their share already planting gullies and slopes on erosion-prone land, and fencing off waterways.

Would it not be better to protect and support what's left of our pastoral industry base, and work on a sustainable, coordinated effort involving all?

This East Coast region has suffered much economically in its environmental achievements.

Central government recognised the major eroding resource problem of this region with readily available grants. To retain a diverse, coordinated economy for our beautiful East Coast, with all its potential, perhaps the Government should consider subsidising our remaining farmers the cost of the methane emissions tax that it wants us to be world-first with.

To the extremists, rather than criticise and be negative, initiate ideas that are accommodating to both the environment and the sustainability of differing enterprises — it's far more rewarding for everybody.

Tony Harvie

Past chairman, Federated Farmers Lands Committee