Govt gives farmers something to talk about (regarding environmental issues) at those woolshed meetings
Hard on the heels of three rurally oriented ministers launching the first of their woolshed meetings, the government brought good news to farmers on the environmental front.
First, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced an additional $18 million is being committed to reduce agricultural emissions.
Not all of this is public funding: the Government and three further companies are committing those millions towards AgriZeroNZ, a public-private joint venture which aims to accelerate the development, commercialisation and adoption of practical tools and solutions for farmers to meet the country’s international climate change obligations.
The a2 Milk Company, ANZ Bank New Zealand and ASB Bank are the new shareholders.
McClay said:
“Collectively they’ll contribute $9 million over three years, matched by the Government, to help drive product development and commercialisation of new tools and technologies to reduce on-farm emissions.
Second, along with Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard, Todd McClay announced its intention to improve freshwater farm plan systems.
The aim is to make the farm plans more cost-effective and practical for farmers,
Federated Farmers (Hoggard is a former president) has welcomed the announcement, Its freshwater spokesperson, Colin Hurst, says.
“Farmers support farm plans as a tool for improving environmental outcomes but they need to be practical and cost-effective. .
“The current system is incredibly frustrating, with a lot of unnecessary cost, complexity and duplication. There are huge opportunities for the Government to make improvements.”
Fixing unworkable freshwater rules was one of Federated Farmers’ 12 key policy changes for restoring farmer confidence during last year’s general election.
Then the government named the “expert advisory group” that will advise ministers on Fast Track Projects. These are projects that ministers will be free to select to skip the usual consenting process under the Fast Track Approvals Bill to be exempted from the usual consenting process.
They are company director and lawyer David Tapsell, civil engineering executive Rosie Mercer, Sanford fishing executive Vaughan Wilkinson, infrastructure company director David Hunt, former forestry manager Murray Parrish, and urban planner Mark Davey.
The Fast-track Approvals Bill was introduced to Parliament for Select Committee review on 7 March 2024. Submissions on the Bill close on 19 April.
The Bill does not currently contain any projects in either Schedule 2A or 2B of the Bill.
Projects listed in Schedule 2A of the Bill will be automatically referred into the fast-track process laid out in the Bill, and the listing of a project in Schedule 2B of the Bill will mean it is required to be taken into account by Ministers if and when a project comes before them for referral into fast-track.
Project applications – by either the public or private sectors – can now be made to the Ministry of Environment until 3 May.
The Fast Track Advisory Group will then look carefully at the projects and provide independent recommendations to the Ministers of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Transport.
Ministers will consider the recommendations and decide which projects to include in the Bill.
The Advisory Group will be engaged between April and July 2024, supported by the Ministry for the Environment and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
The a2 Milk Company, ANZ Bank New Zealand and ASB Bank are the new shareholders.
McClay said:
“Collectively they’ll contribute $9 million over three years, matched by the Government, to help drive product development and commercialisation of new tools and technologies to reduce on-farm emissions.
Second, along with Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard, Todd McClay announced its intention to improve freshwater farm plan systems.
The aim is to make the farm plans more cost-effective and practical for farmers,
Federated Farmers (Hoggard is a former president) has welcomed the announcement, Its freshwater spokesperson, Colin Hurst, says.
“Farmers support farm plans as a tool for improving environmental outcomes but they need to be practical and cost-effective. .
“The current system is incredibly frustrating, with a lot of unnecessary cost, complexity and duplication. There are huge opportunities for the Government to make improvements.”
Fixing unworkable freshwater rules was one of Federated Farmers’ 12 key policy changes for restoring farmer confidence during last year’s general election.
Then the government named the “expert advisory group” that will advise ministers on Fast Track Projects. These are projects that ministers will be free to select to skip the usual consenting process under the Fast Track Approvals Bill to be exempted from the usual consenting process.
They are company director and lawyer David Tapsell, civil engineering executive Rosie Mercer, Sanford fishing executive Vaughan Wilkinson, infrastructure company director David Hunt, former forestry manager Murray Parrish, and urban planner Mark Davey.
The Fast-track Approvals Bill was introduced to Parliament for Select Committee review on 7 March 2024. Submissions on the Bill close on 19 April.
The Bill does not currently contain any projects in either Schedule 2A or 2B of the Bill.
Projects listed in Schedule 2A of the Bill will be automatically referred into the fast-track process laid out in the Bill, and the listing of a project in Schedule 2B of the Bill will mean it is required to be taken into account by Ministers if and when a project comes before them for referral into fast-track.
Project applications – by either the public or private sectors – can now be made to the Ministry of Environment until 3 May.
The Fast Track Advisory Group will then look carefully at the projects and provide independent recommendations to the Ministers of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Transport.
Ministers will consider the recommendations and decide which projects to include in the Bill.
The Advisory Group will be engaged between April and July 2024, supported by the Ministry for the Environment and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Latest from the Beehive
10 APRIL 2024
The coalition Government intends to improve freshwater farm plans so that they are more cost-effective and practical for farmers.
The coalition Government has today announced the expert advisory group who will provide independent recommendations to Ministers on projects to be included in the Fast Track Approvals Bill.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters says his official talks with the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York today focused on a shared commitment to partnering with the Pacific Islands region and a common concern about the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
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The Government is honouring commitments made to Taranaki iwi with the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its first reading Parliament today.
The Government and three further companies are together committing an additional $18 million towards AgriZeroNZ to boost New Zealand’s efforts to reduce agricultural emissions.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) will begin consultation this month on raising speed limits for the Kāpiti Expressway to 110km/h.
Two New Zealanders who’ve used their unique skills to help fight the exotic caulerpa seaweed are this year’s Biosecurity Awards Supreme Winners, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
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