2015 saw the passage of the Health & Safety Reform Bill and Federated Farmers was instrumental in achieving important changes to make it more workable and practical for farmers and farming situations.
Yet, the work continues with the new legislation coming into force in April 2016 and ongoing engagement with officials on regulations and also on issues like quad bikes.
Water has been another massive issue that has simmered away for several years. Although water policy is implemented at a regional and catchment level, where the Federation is in the thick of things, we are also a strong and effective contributor at a national level through membership of the Land and Water Forum and its numerous sub-groups.
To help support this work we established Team Water which captures the experience and expertise of national and regional policy advisors and elected representatives - a powerful combination that is the envy of other organisations.
Federated Farmers has also established a Science Team to help with our advocacy for better and more science to benefit agriculture and farming.
Science has been key to New Zealand's competitive advantage as an agricultural producer yet its importance is easy to neglect and take for granted. The Science Team is here not to do science but to ensure decisionmakers understand what is needed from a farming perspective.
That's why we were so vocal about job cuts at AgResearch and the broader erosion of funding towards agriscience.
Looking beyond these three big issues, Federated Farmers has been involved in a myriad of policy issues at a national level.
HIGHLIGHTS:
* Submitting on New Zealand's climate change targets with the Government assuring us that it has no intention of charging farmers for agricultural biological emissions.
* Responding to changes to employment legislation to beef up minimum standards, with Feds' priority to ensure requirements are reasonable and do not impose excessive costs.
* Engaging with Immigration NZ to ensure farmers can continue to source migrants where appropriately skilled New Zealanders are not available.
* Working with the Government and other stakeholders on responses to adverse events and development of adverse events policy.
* Working proactively with Dairy NZ to develop and roll-out an initiative to make dairying a more attractive career proposition.
* Continuing to push for better rural broadband and more ambitious targets for the Rural Broadband Initiative, while protecting landowners' rights when dealing with infrastructure providers.
* Working with Government and stakeholders on strengthening biosecurity and taking more of a partnership approach to preparedness, response, and recovery, including participation in the TB Plan review
* Engaging with Government on RMA reform, emphasising that reform needs to address issues of concern for farming, including better recognition of property rights.
* Pushing for changes to ACC funding policies to reduce the impact of increasing levies for farmers.
* Pushing for free-trade agreements to provide for meaningful liberalisation of agricultural trade, with the TPP providing for tariff reductions for meat and dairy.
* Taking the pulse of farmers on banking issues, with farmers so far mostly feeling well-supported by their banks.
* Supporting the Government's earlier decision to exempt farm buildings from earthquake-prone buildings requirements, which will save each farmer an estimated $3000 in engineering inspections.
Ongoing engagement on changes to the Animal Welfare Act and supporting regulations to ensure that the new law is fit-for-purpose and caters for good farming practice.
Engaging in discussions on reform of local government funding with aspects of Feds policy, such as removing rating exemptions of Crown land, becoming widely accepted.
Supporting the Government's efforts to improve the quality of its spending and returning to surplus which will help reduce the build-up of debt, improve the outlook for tax cuts and help the Reserve Bank with monetary policy.
Federated Farmers also continues to support members with their inquiries on issues as diverse as electricity, telecommunications, council rates, employment, health and safety, transport rules, banking, animal welfare, and KiwiRail leases.
This work is behind the scenes but it is practically useful for members and also valuable for our intelligence on policy issues.
For a small but dedicated team Federated Farmers boxes well above its weight, especially when engaging with the might of government (local and central). Be assured that we are committed to continuing to achieve results for members in 2016. Watch this space
