TARGETED CATCHMENT APPROACH REQUIRED FOR FRESHWATER
Farmers have a strong interest in achieving both improved water quality and economic growth. We all have a role to play in achieving these twin goals as all sectors of society have contributed to the problem.
Much of the water quality debate is dominated by emotive slogans and assumptions based on skinny data and highly speculative modelling. This leads to problem definitions that do not accurately reflect on-the-ground reality. There is an assumption that there are only two approaches to addressing water quality: regulatory and non-regulatory.
A third way is a targeted flagship catchment approach. Prioritisation of hotspot catchments is required to focus efforts where they are needed most. Fine-grained base data and targeted investment are essential. Plugging the knowledge gaps and accurately defining the problem is essential. This approach establishes a framework for catchment partnerships that coordinate community, council and scientific efforts. All of this requires additional and coordinated contributions of time and money from business owners, households, taxpayers and ratepayers.
OUR MESSAGE: Federated Farmers encourages all political parties to support a targeted flagship catchment approach that delivers targeted investment based on sound data so that improved water quality can be achieved alongside economic growth. A range of taxpayer and region-wide rates based funding should be considered to assist with the achievement of the most cost effective improvement in water quality for regional economies.
BETTER BALANCE BETWEEN ECONOMY AND ENVIRONMENT
Farmers recognise the need to continue to reduce their environmental footprint. Farmers have made, and continue to make, significant improvements to the way they manage their land. Dairy farmers alone have invested over $1 billion in the last five years in environmental improvements. Farmers acknowledge further work is required. Sir Peter Gluckman's recent report reaffirms the premise that all New Zealanders have a role to play in improving water quality as all sectors of society have contributed to the problem.
The National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management is the primary policy measure for improving water quality. It sets out national expectations but implementation rests with regional councils.
There are numerous examples of regional councils picking one option to improve water quality and then blindly pursuing it through the planning process. It has led to lengthy and costly legal challenges; and uncertain, often unwieldy, impacts.
Every catchment presents its own peculiarities - why the water body is in the state it is and the best options to improve its water quality. Better community involvement in council consultation and decision-making processes is a critical first step to implementing changes that are sensible, practical and affordable.
OUR MESSAGE: We urge all political parties to support changes to the National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management to require the robust quantification and taking into account of both the economic effects and environmental benefits of options to improve water quality.
A MORE ROBUST BIOSECURITY SYSTEM
As an island nation, we've remained free of many diseases, pests and weeds that have decimated other countries.
If New Zealand suffered a Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak, such as that which struck Europe in 2001, it was estimated it would cost us over $16 billion. A robust biosecurity system is essential to ensuring the benefits that arise from our geographic isolation are maintained.
The risks of a serious biosecurity incursion to New Zealand are increasing. Between 2003 and 2014 the volume of mail parcels entering New Zealand has grown by 216 per cent, sea containers are up 37 per cent and air passenger arrivals 47 per cent. Added to this is the near doubling of cruise ship passengers since 2010. These people and freight are coming from a broader range of countries.
It is crucial New Zealand has strong science-based and risk-based biosecurity rules and that they are strictly enforced and subject to strong penalties.
OUR MESSAGE: All political parties should commit to ensuring that Government allocates the resources needed to develop, maintain and enforce a world class biosecurity system.
BETTER RESPONSES TO BIOSECURITY INCURSIONS
Every year our biosecurity system stops many potential incursions but occasionally a disease, weed or pest gets through. The Government Industry Agreement (GIA) framework is a useful mechanism for government and industry to work together to better prepare for incursions and respond more effectively when they occur.
If the response is slow or inadequate, the ongoing cost to the nation can be significantly higher than it should have been. Velvetleaf, is an incredibly invasive weed with seeds that can survive in the soil for over 50 years. In the first months of the 2016 Velvetleaf incursion, inspection and disposal costs to this country are said to have exceeded $1 million, costs that will continue to increase over the expected dormancy of Velvetleaf seeds.
The Ministry for Primary Industries needs the resources to promptly respond to fresh incursions. Swift eradication, while costly in the short to medium term, avoids the substantial costs of long term pest management. Experience with recent incursions strongly suggests more resources are required.
OUR MESSAGE: Federated Farmers encourages all political parties to commit to supporting increased resources to respond to biosecurity incursions, and to support Federated Farmers membership of the GIA partnership.
COMBAT ESTABLISHED PLANT AND ANIMAL PESTS
Major consequences arise for farmers, conservation and biodiversity when harmful exotic species get in and become established. Royal Society research in 2014 identified the economic cost to NZ from vertebrate pests to be about 2 per cent of GDP every year. For pastoral weeds, lost production and control costs total $1.2 billion per annum. Most of the 32 mammal species that have become established are now pests.
Work done by the Department of Conservation forecasts that 20 per cent of NZ will be taken over by wilding conifer forests within 20 years. Wilding conifers spread relentlessly over the hill country and the government committed $27 million in 2016 for control efforts. Progress has been encouraging, but more resources are needed.
Rapid growth in rabbit populations has had a devastating effect on crops and pastures. A strain of rabbit haemorrhagic disease is expected to be ready for use in autumn 2018.
OUR MESSAGE: We urge all political parties to support initiatives to reduce the impacts of established plant and animal pests, ensure these initiatives have sufficient resources and the full range of tools to achieve reduced impacts.
SUBSTANTIVE REFORMS NEEDED OF RMA FUNDAMENTALS
Increasing demands being placed on farmers by central and local government and local communities is making it increasingly difficult to farm. Many of these demands centre on the protection of resources on private land, and impact on the economic and social prosperity of rural communities. The implementation of the RMA is a major brake on regional economic development. Farmers support the need to manage the environmental effects of their activities, but a better balance and common sense is required.
A fundamental review of the effectiveness of the Purpose and Principles (Part 2) of the RMA is needed. Explicit references to economic outcomes, property rights and the protection of the rural production resource need to be factored into reviews to improve the RMA by including these as matters of National Importance.
OUR MESSAGE: Federated Farmers urges all political parties to support fundamental reform of the Resource Management Act 1991 so the Act more effectively delivers on all four (environmental, social, cultural and economic) aspects of sustainability and prosperity.
COMMIT TO BETTER AND LESS REGULATION
Regulations cover a range of issues that impact the daily lives of farmers and other rural businesses. Resource management, health and safety, employment, immigration and animal welfare have been big regulatory issues for farmers over recent times. Some regulatory agencies, such as IRD, are to be congratulated for successfully reducing compliance costs.
A growing culture of risk aversion in society, media and all levels of government increasingly makes regulation the default option. Poor quality regulations in recent years have added significant costs to the productive sector for dubious benefits and are often based on a knee-jerk reaction rather than sound analysis. Successive farmer confidence surveys show that reducing the burden of regulation and compliance costs is among the highest priorities farmers want from government. A Regulatory Standards Bill has continued to languish in Parliament when its passage would put in place principles for good quality regulation.
OUR MESSAGE: We encourage political parties to commit to better quality and less regulation, and to implement the Productivity Commission's recommendations on local government regulation and regulatory institutions and practices.
REALISE FREE TRADE BENEFITS
We have natural advantages when it comes to the production of food and fibre. In 2015/16, over 75 per cent of merchandise exports came from the primary sectors.
In some key global economies there is clamour for a retreat towards economic nationalism and protectionism. This threatens New Zealand's access to key markets and the mechanisms available to bring parties to justice who are not fulfilling their international trade commitments.
It is more important than ever that New Zealand remains committed to realising the benefits of free trade and promoting and pursuing trade liberalisation. Multilateral agreements, like the WTO, provide a level-playing field between trading partners and allows New Zealand to wield more influence than a country our size ought. Bilateral agreements provide better targeted improvements to market access. Annual exports to China have quadrupled since 2006 under the China Free Trade Agreement.
OUR MESSAGE: All political parties should stand united in the pursuit of free trade and to encourage other countries to fulfil the commitments they have made.
SCIENCE INVESTMENT
Science and innovation has contributed immensely to the success of the primary sector. Farm productivity continues to improve by around 1 per cent every year. New and better crops enhance the range and value of products we produce. Science and innovation also have important roles in resolving the environmental challenges.
Good engagement by the science community with the primary sector is vital to identify priorities for work and to ensure that outcomes are useful to farmers.
Engagement between the science community and industry must be early and meaningful, and not just a box ticking exercise to fulfil funding criteria. Existing and future research programmes (such as National Science challenges) must be carefully monitored.
OUR MESSAGE: We seek support for improved government investment in science that better enable the primary sector to deliver on economic aspirations and environmental goals.
IMPROVE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
Equitable access to essential services is essential for rural New Zealand. Equity of access to education is important to farming families and helps with attracting and retaining farm employees with children.
The location of farms in the more remote corners of New Zealand mean the nearest secondary school is often too far away for pupils to attend on a daily basis and distance schooling, via computer, is neither ideal nor realistic due to inadequate rural internet services. Boarding is often the only practical solution.
Two types of boarding allowance are available - the Access Barrier allowance due to isolation and the Multiple Barriers allowance due to such factors as behavioural issues.
The Multiple Barriers allowance has been increased steadily over the last decade and sits at $7,500 per annum. The Access Barrier allowance is less than half that at $3,200 per annum, and has not been increased for over 10 years. The Ministry of Education budget for boarding allowances was underspent by more than $3 million in 2015, so increasing the Access Barrier Boarding Allowance to the same level as the Multiple Barriers Boarding Allowance can be easily achieved within the existing budget.
OUR MESSAGE: Federated Farmers encourages all political parties to support the Access Barrier boarding allowance being immediately raised to the same level as the Multiple Barriers boarding allowance and then adjusting both allowances annually for inflation.
TOURISM-RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE
Tourist numbers are expected to reach 4.5 million by 2025. The government collected $2.6b in GST from tourist-related activity in 2016. We need to have the infrastructure to cope with this growth and so the visitor experience is not compromised.
Local government is a provider of important infrastructure for tourists, from big ticket items like roads, water and wastewater, to smaller facilities like public toilets, parking areas and freedom camping spots. Local Government NZ puts the cost of meeting increasing tourism demand at around $1.38 billion per annum. Government have made available $102 million over four years. While this is welcome, there remains a shortfall that will be borne by ratepayers, and with our property value rates system a big proportion of the burden falls on farmers, many of whose annual rates bills already exceed $30,000.
OUR MESSAGE: All political parties should commit increased and ongoing central government funding for local tourism-related infrastructure.
BETTER RURAL POLICING
Many rural communities are isolated, often with less reliable telecommunications and exposure to a greater range of threats such as visitors with firearms and dogs.
Federated Farmers' 2016 rural security survey showed that 35 per cent of respondents had livestock or equipment stolen in the last two years. Of concern is that 60 per cent of those respondents did not report the thefts to the Police with a common reason being that "Police don't have the resources to respond".
OUR MESSAGE: Federated Farmers encourages all political parties to support further increases in resourcing for police in rural areas to reduce the vulnerability of rural communities.
STRONGER DETERRENTS FOR LIVESTOCK THEFT
Nationally, farmed livestock are worth over $20 billion. Livestock rustling has become increasingly prevalent in rural areas and the cost is put at over $120 million each year. Livestock theft also creates serious risks as firearms and other weapons are often involved.
A private member's bill, the Sentencing (Livestock Rustling) Amendment Bill, currently in the ballot, would go a long way towards providing a stronger deterrent. The bill proposes to add the theft of livestock to the array of aggravating factors in the Sentencing Act that must be considered at sentencing.
Federated Farmers see this bill as an important first step. Further steps should be considered including making theft of livestock a specific criminal offence to enable powers of seizure provisions similar to those in section 207 of the Fisheries Act 1996. Given the highly organised nature of livestock theft, seizing vehicles and other property used in rustling should provide both a deterrent for offending and inhibit reoffending.
OUR MESSAGE: We encourage all political parties to support passing the Sentencing (Livestock Rustling) Amendment Bill with additional amendments that provide powers of seizure.
