Government intervenes to stop out-of-control councils

Federated Farmers says the Government stepping in to stop regional councils from notifying new freshwater regulations is a win for both farmers and common sense.

"Regional councils have been totally out of control pushing ahead with expensive and impractical new freshwater rules," says Federated Farmers vice president Colin Hurst.

"It has never made any sense for councils to rush through these rules before the new National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) has been put in place.

"The Government stepping in and intervening is a pragmatic move that will be welcome news for farmers and ratepayers across the country."

Hurst says Federated Farmers has been incredibly vocal in calling for the Government to stop councils notifying these new rules.

"This is a huge win for Federated Farmers and our members across the country," Hurst says.

"Councils have been pouring ratepayers’ money down the drain working on these new rules when they know all too well there are changes coming.

"It makes much more sense to wait for changes to both the NPS-FM and the Resource Management Act to be finalised.

"Last month we wrote to Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and recommended that Section 80A of the RMA should be amended to prevent councils from notifying new freshwater regional regulations and policy statements.

"Farmers up and down the country will be breathing a deep sigh of relief this afternoon, because the Government have done just that."

Hurst says this means no more unworkable rules or regulations will be imposed on farmers by regional councils until the Government has clarified the law.

He says the announcement comes just in time to stop Otago Regional Council, who are due to meet tomorrow to vote on whether they will notify a new land and water plan.

"These changes have arrived just in time to prevent them from doing so.

"Federated Farmers has led the charge in Otago calling for the regional council to be transparent about the true costs and implications of their plan.

"That advocacy seems to have been a real catalyst for action that will have far-reaching implications for other communities.

"This change introduced to Parliament today will prevent regional councils across the country from notifying regional plans and regional policy statements that give effect to the unworkable NPS-FM 2020."

In the Government’s announcement today, it said it will move to add an amendment to the Resource Management Act Amendment Bill, currently before Parliament, which will restrict councils’ ability to notify freshwater plans before the gazettal of the replacement NPS-FM.