Farming
- Court decision halts costly resource consent requirements for over 3000 Southland farmers.
- Farmers faced expenses of up to $30,000 just to continue routine farming.
- Legislative changes to the Resource Management Act are expected later this year.
A recent court decision has provided relief for over 3000 Southland farmers, pausing a requirement for costly resource consents under the Southland Water and Land Plan.
Federated Farmers welcomed the ruling, which delays the implementation of these rules until the Government makes proposed changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA).
"Delaying legal processes until the Government’s proposed amendments to the RMA can be made is a pragmatic decision," said Federated Farmers Southland president Jason Herrick.
He explained that the initial plan would have forced farmers to obtain resource consents costing between $10,000 and $30,000 just to continue normal farming activities.
"Requiring 3000 local farmers to get a resource consent would have been nothing short of an impractical and expensive box-ticking exercise for absolutely no environmental gain," Herrick said.
He added that the decision is a victory for common sense.
"We’re really pleased common sense has prevailed this week and farmers won’t need to waste their time or money jumping through bureaucratic hoops for no reason."
The Government has confirmed its intention to amend section 70 of the RMA later this year.
Herrick also criticised the activist groups that initiated the legal action.
"The activist groups who initially brought this case, like Fish & Game and Forest & Bird, should be hanging their heads in shame," he said.
"All they’ve done is stir up a whole lot of angst and uncertainty in our rural communities and I don’t think they’ve taken any accountability for that."
He credited politicians for taking action and the court for stepping in to prevent further unnecessary costs and disruptions for farmers.
"Thankfully the politicians have listened and delivered a solution, and the court have put this stay in place so no more time or money is wasted while the law is being changed," Herrick said.