Federated Farmers: Bring loopy council rules to light

Minister Paula Bennett is proposing that government regulations on building and improvements are more effective, and less restrictive.

Federated Farmers is pleased that Minister Paula Bennett has formed a Rules Reduction Taskforce.

She is asking New Zealanders for examples of red tape rules that have got in the way of their building, renovation, landscaping and home improvement plans. The information gathered will inform the Taskforce, which will consider submissions and ultimately recommend any necessary changes.

Federated Farmers has seen many irrelevant and unnecessary rules in its time, as farmers are often at the sharp end of much local regulation from bylaws, the Building Act, and RMA regional and district plans. Many rules are developed with little understanding of real farming systems and create unnecessary compliance hassles for both councils and farmers, for negligible benefit.

Recently Federated Farmers has encountered a ridiculous rule for the feeding out of silage. The council in this case claimed that silage is a discharge to land, under Section 15 of the RMA when it is being fed out, and required that silage be no thicker than 20cm on the ground. Luckily, Federated Farmers has managed to talk sense into this council and the rule has been deleted.

Another ridiculous rule involved storage of petrol and diesel on farms, with the rule stipulating the permitted quantities in tonnes. Federated Farmers had to wonder if council members had ever filled up their car before and noticed that fuel is measured in litres.

Fortunately this council deleted the rule and now farmers in that district that comply with the existing EPA 2012 Guidelines for Above Ground Fuel Storage on Farms are compliant.

This year we have also successfully advocated for the deletion of a deer fencing rule that required deer farmers to fence to meet a standard was so out-of-date that the Act had been revoked in 2008.

Federated Farmers agrees with Minister Bennett when she says central and local government need regulations which are effective, and help get the job done -- not get in the way.

"Regulations that frustrate property owners and business people also suck up councils' precious resources in administration time and effort," she said.

These are our examples of ridiculous rules. Luckily these rules were scuppered by Federated Farmers' advocacy, and we now want to hear your examples. Go to Federated Farmers' website and give us your examples by filling out the "Calling for Loopy Council Rules" survey.