Support for District Plan by FF & Fonterra

Kaipara District Council has received unparalleled and exceptional support for its innovative proposed District Plan. Both Federated Farmers and Fonterra are supportive of Council’s proposed plan, with Fonterra commending Council and staff for their efforts in producing the plan.


Mayor Neil Tiller is delighted by the resounding support received from Federated Farmers and Fonterra for the ground-breaking District Plan, particularly in light of recent criticism. “Councillors and members of the team at Council have worked hard over the course of the past two years in developing and consulting on the proposed plan. They have spent many days at workshops and held over 30 meetings with stakeholders. Their commitment to developing a plan that benefits the community of Kaipara has been fantastic. The support received from Federated Farmers and Fonterra, in particular for an effects based plan which provides landowners with more flexibility, not less, is entirely welcome.”


Both Federated Farmers and Fonterra made detailed submissions on the proposed District Plan which have proven constructive in their suggestions and provided strong support for many elements of the proposed plan.


The submission made on behalf of Federated Farmers, the not-for-profit organisation that represents the majority of farming businesses in New Zealand, congratulates Council for its approach to certain elements of the plan.


Denis Anderson, President of the Far North, Whangarei and Kaipara Region of Federated Farmers has commented “Federated Farmers believes that when undertaking a district plan review it is essential that Council take into account and balance the economic, social, cultural and environmental considerations of any particular policy or provision. The Kaipara District plan appears to have integrated the four well beings into their objectives and policies successfully. Federated Farmers submitted to the proposed plan with some constructive criticism about certain rules. We believe it is preferable to work constructively with Council at these early stages to improve the plan now rather than during costly court proceedings.”


Federated Farmers submission also touches on the potential of the district plan to reduce duplication between local government authorities - “The proposed District Plan advises that where parallel resource consents are required from both the Northland Regional Council and from the Kaipara District Council, then the district council will undertake joint processing via delegated authority. Federated Farmers supports joint processing which will reduce processing time and unnecessary duplication.”


Rhea Dasent, Regional Policy Adviser for Federated Farmers stated in November that Federated Farmers was pleased to see that the proposed Plan has objectives and policies reflecting the four resource management well-beings, namely environmental, economic, social and cultural. ”The proposed plan has taken a unique approach in that the rules focus more on impacts and effects, rather than on controlling the activities themselves. This allows landowners more flexibility on what they use their land for, while still providing control over any adverse effects that may arise”.


Fonterra’s submission is similarly supportive stating “the Proposed District Plan is well laid out and easy to follow, interpret and understand. Fonterra supports the layout of the Plan in this regard and commends the Council and its staff for the work that has obviously been involved in producing the District Plan”.


Mayor Tiller thanked Fonterra and Federate Farmers for their positive and constructive approach to working with Council to develop a workable District Plan. “The suggestions made by others, including that farmers will need resource consent to farm, are simply nonsense. I, like many of the other Councillors, am a farmer and I understand the concerns of many farmers. I would encourage any farmer in the district who is unsure of what they can and cannot do under the proposed plan to come and speak with Council rather than listening to supposition and conjecture.”


A summarisation of the 446 submissions received by Council on the proposed District Plan will be available in late February following which the Further Submissions stage of the process will begin. Mayor Tiller is confident that the process will produce a final plan that provides for the well being of the Kaipara. “Many hours will be spent considering those submissions and amending the plan as necessary. I would ask that you support your Councillors during this process in which they will be working hard to provide a plan that takes the Kaipara forward.”