Dear John --

Today National announced another key part of our plan to rebuild the economy. Our Primary Sector Growth Plan will continue to support the primary sector and get Wellington out of farming. 

National knows the primary sector is vital to New Zealand's economy and backs our farmers. 

To help farmers National will:

• Cut Labour’s red tape and ensure farming regulations are fit for purpose
  
  
• Double the RSE working cap, ban foreign farm-to-forest conversions for carbon farming and allow normal rural activities on Highly Productive Land
  
  
• Give farmers the tools they need to reduce emissions, by lifting the effective ban on GE and GM technologies and rewarding farmers for on-farm carbon sequestration.
  
  
• No longer require farmers to have a resource consent to build a water storage pond on farmland, unless wetlands or Significant Natural Areas are affected.
  
  
• Make commercially-grown fruit and vegetables for human consumption a permitted activity under the Resource Management Act, meaning growers will not have to obtain a resource consent to grow food or rotate crops within a catchment.
  
  
• Cut red tape that is stopping the creation of wetlands on farms, which deliver a range of environmental benefits

Click here to read our full policy. 

Water is a precious resource, consents will still be required to take water from rivers or lakes. 

We’ll also make other changes to ensure the primary sector has the workers they need to invest and grow for instance around seasonal and working holiday work visas and we will release a separate forestry and wood policy to create jobs and grow the economy.

Labour has made an economic mess that National will clean up. National will rebuild the economy to reduce the cost of living so all New Zealanders can get ahead.

Farming is how New Zealand pays its way in the world, with the primary sector earning more than three-quarters of export revenue from goods. 

Our policy will make lives easier for farmers, grow our economy and get our country back on track.

Thank you,

Hon Todd McClay MP
National's spokesperson for Agriculture and Trade

PS: Today marks exactly one month until the election. Every dollar counts to help us change the government and get the economy working for you. Can you donate $20 today? Thank you.