Dear John --

Since coming to office in 2017, Labour has introduced more than 20 new or amended regulations that directly affect the ability of businesses in our agricultural sector to operate. Many of these new rules are simply unworkable. Labour has threatened to close 20% of sheep and beef farms by 2030 with its proposed emissions pricing scheme.

Labour does not understand the rural sector. It has overridden local councils and imposed one-size-fits-all rules with massive compliance costs for farmers, often for limited or no environmental gain. Labour has used rules and regulation to try and run farms from Wellington.

That ends under National.

National will cut Labour’s red tape to ensure farming regulations are fit for purpose while actually protecting the environment. We’ll return the management of local issues to local councils. And we’ll ensure rural communities have the tools they need to continue to provide New Zealand, and the world, with high quality, low-carbon food and fibre.

National supports practical environmentalism. National believes regulation should target environmental outcomes without telling farmers how to run their businesses.

National will create a professional, competent regulatory system that balances environmental and economic goals and imposes the minimum costs on farmers. National’s package includes 21 regulatory changes that will back our farmers to succeed while, at the same time, protecting the environment.

National will:

Deliver smarter rules for the future

• Introduce a 2-for-1 rule – for every new agriculture regulation, two must be removed.
• Establish a Rural Regulation Review Panel to consider all regulations affecting farmers.
• Require new rules to be assessed for their costs to farmers with findings published.

Supercharge the rural economy

• Double the RSE worker cap from 19,000 to 38,000 and create a path to residency through the Accredited Employer Work Visa.
• Ban foreign farm-to-forest conversions for carbon farming
• Allow normal rural activities on Highly Productive Land.

Get Wellington out of farming

• Replace one-size-fits-all rules with local decision-making.
• Focus environmental protection on areas of high environmental value.
• Improve stock exclusion rules.

For full policy details, click here. 

Kind regards,

Nicola Grigg
http://nicolagrigg.national.org.nz/