John Blackwell: Challenges ahead

John Blackwell

October has been a month of change, going from one of our wettest winters to suddenly a drying-out spring. Northland surpassed its average annual rainfall mark several months ago; I expect we will see an averaging effect somewhere along the line.

Speaking of changing fronts, more change blew in on our political scene, with a switch from blue to red/black/green. The very day the coalition announced its agreed policies, Federated Farmers committed to working constructively with the new government.

And while we highlighted positives in the programme the government signalled - including the boost to biosecurity, an incremental rise in research and development spending and the $1 billion annual spend on regional development - that's certainly not to say we don't have concerns.

"We've got to knock on the head the erroneous notion that irrigation only means opening up more dairy."

NZ First has tempered Labour's desire to get agriculture under the ETS. If the idea is ticked by a new Climate Change Commission, the initial impost will be reduced from 10 per cent to 5 per cent, but that's still tens of millions of dollars to come out of the sector when none of our trading partners face the same cost.

And while it's pleasing the existing commitment to Crown Irrigation Investments will be honoured ($400 million, of which $131 million has been spent so far), that will be an end to it unless those holding the regional development budget purse strings can be persuaded that irrigation in some regions can be the best form of development and growth future-proofing available.

We've got to knock on the head the erroneous notion that irrigation only means opening up more dairy.

On the local scene, our focus this month is the Northland Regional Council's new regional plan. Submissions close at 4pm on November 15, and we have held meetings to inform and encourage farmers to take part in this process.

A raft of new rules and regulations have been proposed that will impact on farming businesses and profitability. It is critical that the new plan is practical, achievable and workable.

Check out what's proposed at https://www.nrc.govt.nz/Your-Council/Council-Projects/New-Regional-Plan/ Key topics include water takes for dairy sheds, stock exclusion areas, dairy effluent, cultivation earth works, vegetation clearance, land drainage, agrichemical application and watercourse maintenance.

We want to hear what changes farmers think they need to inform the detailed submission the Federation will lodge. But farmers should also put in their own submissions. Remember, it's just as important to support the proposals that are worthwhile as to criticise those that don't belong.