Elections and policy priorities for Federated Farmers

Tararua Feds executive members striving to get good policy outcomes for farmers, it can be challenging.

Elections provide an opportunity for evaluating how we are doing as a country, and on a local level how we are doing as farmers.

With less than six weeks until voting starts it’s opportune to reflect as farmers on what recent independent national polling has shown:

67 per cent of Kiwis have a positive view of farmers (only 6 per cent negative).

41 per cent of Kiwis think farmers are over-regulated (17 per cent think under-regulated).

72 per cent of Kiwis support allowing farmers to use a GMO rye-grass (15 per cent don’t).

63 per cent of Kiwis support more irrigation of farmland (14 per cent don’t).

30 per cent support a levy on agricultural GHG (51 per cent oppose).

54 per cent support a limit on using forest to offset GHG emissions (25 per cent oppose).

72 per cent think we should allow more people to come to New Zealand to work on farms (15 per cent oppose).

At Federated Farmers we have 12 policy priorities for the next government:

Support better use of technologies.

Unlock potential through water storage.

Allow young farmers to access their KiwiSaver.

Urgently review our methane targets.

Rethink our ETS Forestry Rules and net-zero target.

Scrap the ute tax and fix infrastructure.

Give back control to local communities.

Fix our unworkable freshwater rules.

Get RMA reform right.

Simplify Significant Natural Areas.

Build the farmer workforce.

Show fiscal and monetary discipline.

Implementation of Freshwater Farm Plans continues to be unattainable with the current top-down Government approach demanding FWFP be certified and audited. No one is yet certified to carry out these roles for the expected 24,000 farmers who will require them. It’s like saying you have to have a driver’s licence without anyone able to issue you with one.

As an organisation, Federated Farmers remains apolitical, so the focus is on working with whoever the people of NZ choose to govern with the aim of having policies that are practical, workable, and implementable.

Hopefully some food for thought and a few points to focus in on should you get an opportunity to have a chat with local candidates Kieran McAnulty, Mike Butterick, Celia Wade Brown or Simon Casey.