Court Decision A Pragmatic Win For Southland Farmers

Federated Farmers are welcoming a court decision granting a ‘stay’ on rules in the Southland Water and Land Plan until legislative changes can be made by central government.

The plan, following earlier court decisions, would have required more than 3000 Southland farmers to apply for an expensive resource consent just to continue farming.

"Delaying legal processes until the Government’s proposed amendments to the RMA can be made is a pragmatic decision," says Federated Farmers Southland president Jason Herrick.

"Requiring 3000 local farmers to get a resource consent would have been nothing short of an impractical and expensive box-ticking exercise for absolutely no environmental gain.

"This would have been a significant cost for most farmers, ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 each, just to continue with their day-to-day farming activities.

"We’re really pleased common sense has prevailed this week and farmers won’t need to waste their time or money jumping through bureaucratic hoops for no reason."

The Government have been very clear on their intent to make legislative changes to section 70 of the Resource Management Act later this year.

"The activist groups who initially brought this case, like Fish & Game and Forest & Bird, should be hanging their heads in shame," Herrick says.

"All they’ve done is stir up a whole lot of angst and uncertainty in our rural communities and I don’t think they’ve taken any accountability for that.

"Thankfully the politicians have listened and delivered a solution, and the court have put this stay in place so no more time or money is wasted while the law is being changed."

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