By LIAM DANN
A second wave of protest action over the Government's proposed "flatulence tax" starts today stretching from Wellsford, north of Auckland, to the Waikato.
Farmers from throughout the Auckland region will take to their utes and trucks for a three-day FART (fight against ridiculous taxes) rally starting at the Wellsford saleyards at 11am and ending with a mass gathering at Pukekohe on Wednesday.
A parade of about 20 cars and trucks sporting banners and carrying model cows will travel through central Auckland tomorrow.
Auckland Federated Farmers president Barry McAlley said the protest was being organised to cause as little disruption to traffic as possible.
"We consider we have the urban people on our side and the last thing we want to do is inconvenience them," he said.
Numbers in tomorrow's rally, starting at the bottom of Queen St at noon, would be limited to avoid congestion, he said.
A group from Helensville would join this part of the rally.
The main aim was to gather signatures for a petition to be presented to Parliament at another rally in Wellington on September 4.
"Farmers are incensed that the Government is pursuing this tax in the face of overwhelming opposition for little environmental benefit," Mr McAlley said.
"The Government took $500 million of carbon credits in the public interest.
"If the Government believes the Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Emissions Research is in the public interest, then the Government should pay."
The Auckland motorcade would stop at every town along the way to collect signatures, Mr McAlley said.
The biggest crowd was expected at Pukekohe on the final day.
The petition would then be passed on to Waikato delegates, who will hold a public rally in Hamilton on Friday.
Waikato Federated Farmers plans include a lunchtime parade around central Hamilton, followed by a gathering in Garden Place, where there will be a free sausage sizzle and people talking on the tax issue.
"This is a great opportunity for farmers to show the Government they will not tolerate the imposition of yet another ridiculous tax," said Waikato federation president John Fisher.
As part of plans to comply with the Kyoto Protocol on global warming the Government has proposed the levy to fund research to reduce methane gas produced by livestock.
It is expected to cost most farmers about $300 a year.
Mr McAlley said Federated Farmers expected the Government would have to pass legislation to collect the levy.
Meat companies, industry organisations and Fonterra have all indicated that they have no intention of collecting the levy unless they are required to by law.
A spokesman for Environment Minister Pete Hodgson said a submission process on how the levy would be collected was now closed and a decision was expected in the next few weeks.
The final decision on the collection method would be made by Cabinet, he said.
A lot of submissions had been received but only a few had offered practical suggestions, the spokesman said. Most had just expressed their opposition to the levy.
* Perhaps the most pointed recent objection to the tax came after the West Coast farmers' rally on August 9. The rally ended ended at a local hotel "for baked beans and pickled onions - all welcome".
Herald Feature: climate change
Related links
FART rallies:
Today: Start - Wellsford saleyards 11am. Warkworth noon to 1pm, Orewa 1.30pm to 2pm.
Tomorrow: Start - Bottom of Queen St, Auckland City, noon.
Wednesday: Start - Papakura 10am, Pukekohe 11am, Tuakau saleyards 12.30, Pokeno 1.30pm.
Friday: Waikato rally. Assembles old Hamilton city bus terminal, Ward St, 11am, Parade around central Hamilton, 11.55am. Gathering in Garden Place follows. (Intending participants, phone Waikato Federated Farmers 0800 327-646)
'Flatulence tax' rallies rolling on
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