Groundswell NZ Ready For Drive 4 Change Tractor Rally

Bryce McKenzie and Laurie Paterson are ready to bring the tractors out again, but this time they’re touring the length of the country.

The Groundswell NZ Drive 4 Change rally kicks off this Friday in Southland, where they hope at least 20 or 30 others will join them.

They aim to get to the Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland at the start of October, but when you’re only going 40km/hr it’s a pretty slow trip.

“But we’re up nice and high and you can see things that most normal people don’t see,” Bryce said.

A support vehicle with a caravan would also accompany the men so at least there was somewhere to pull over for a cup of tea along the way.

Protesting unworkable regulations, the pair hoped other farmers and food producers would join them as they moved up the country.

“Some will branch off and go home and others will join us.   But you’re used to driving by yourself in a tractor anyway,” he said.

The Freedom and Rights Coalition was planning a march on Parliament to protest Agenda 2030 on September 28, and had invited Groundswell NZ to also be part of it.

But Bryce said nothing would distract them off their path to Auckland as they had been planning their protest trip for months.  “We’re not going to turn up.  We have our own places to be,” he said.

As well as speaking engagements at various towns and cities where other Groundswell co-ordinators were based, the pair would be holding a ‘policy burning evening’ on the Bombay Hills when they get there on September 30.

Friday 22nd at Lorneville yards.