Recognition for 'agri-activist'

Derek Spratt has helped many in the community.

Queen's Service Medal recipient Derek Spratt says being being part of Fight Against Ridiculous Taxes (F.A.R.T) in 2003 remains a highlight of an agricultural career that's spanned a lifetime.

It all started at a Federated Farmers conference in Auckland. Mr Spratt, who has been a member for 46 years and past Bay of Plenty provincial president for five, recalls: "The honourable Jim Sutton spoke about the emissions trading tax, which went down like a lead balloon.

"He had hardly left the building before all the delegates got paper and pencils and marker pens and made placards and went out on to the streets.

"We had a demonstration and we called it the fight against ridiculous taxes and that is where F.A.R.T developed."

The movement started off a nationwide petition that prompted former National MP Shane Arden to drive his tractor up Parliament's front steps - a stunt that earned him a telling-off from Speaker Jonathan Hunt but still brings a smile to Mr Spratt's face today.

The Pukehina dairy farmer, acknowledged on Monday for services to agriculture, said being involved from the beginning "was really good".

The cause was championed by farmers around the country, who marched in support.

"The bottom of Queen St just came to a standstill, we stopped the traffic."

The regional council water and land management plans, which he was part of for eight years, also rates. "I was basically involved from day one and happy with the end result."

The only regret he had was missing out on the thank you evening because of illness.

"I had the flu and was annoyed because I was looking forward to going."

However, more people may be familiar with his work as the Bay of Plenty Rural Support Trust chairman - a position he has held since 2008 and was re-elected to last week.

He helped form the first Rural Support Trust in New Zealand, since used as a model nationwide.

"Our trust is there to help people in the community in adverse situations. If we hear of someone who is having a bit of trouble we will try and help them and that is what I like about it."

The trust had facilitators and mentors that farmers could access, he said.

"If we can't help, we will put them on to someone else."

The Bay of Plenty Rural Support Trust was set up to assist rural people to respond to and recover from livelihood-affecting adverse events, whether climatic, economic or environmental.