ACT Agriculture spokesperson Mark Cameron is welcoming the Government’s proposed amendment to the Resource Management Act that would restrict councils’ ability to notify freshwater plans prior to the replacement of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM).

“Farmers have been under real pressure from Labour’s NPS-FM and ACT has consistently argued for its full repeal,” says Mr Cameron.

“I have heard the concerns from farmers about the proposed changes to the Otago Regional Council’s freshwater rules, which are being drafted in accordance with the previous Labour Government’s policies.

“Labour’s NPS-FM is already set to be repealed. Yet some councils continue to trudge ahead with new freshwater plans, wasting ratepayer money and resources on something that will soon be redundant and have to be reworked anyway.

“The proposed amendment will stop ratepayer money being wasted and restore certainty for farmers and other resource users.

“Labour’s policy centralised control in Wellington, allowing bureaucrats to impose strict rules that don’t respect the practical realities of farming. The amorphous concept of ‘Te Mana o te Wai’, the mana of the water, was elevated above all else leading to even more restrictive red tape being imposed on farmers by regional councils.

“Concepts relating to spirituality or the meta-physical have no place in laws or regulations. Rules should be clear, reasonable and workable, but with Te Mana o te Wai having no clear meaning or environmental limits, farmers and councils were left clueless about what was required. A clear, science-based approach is needed.

“During Labour’s six years in Government, farmers faced a tsunami of red tape and costs adding unnecessary pressure on top of the day-to-day challenges of farming.

“Today’s announcement will relieve what was a significant headache for many farmers, delivering on this Government’s mandate to slash unnecessary red tape.

“ACT will continue to fight for farmers and rural New Zealand. Labour’s war on farmers is over and we’re restoring confidence so rural communities can get on with doing what they do best.”

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