Please copy-and-paste this text into your own email and send off to your Regional Council.
To whom it may concern
RE: Government-mandated Freshwater Farm Plans
I am writing to advise, I support Groundswell NZ’s call to boycott Government-mandated Freshwater Farm Plans.
My reasons for saying no to Farm Plans, are:
- The one-size-fits-all nationwide approach will not achieve desired outcomes.
- The mandated Freshwater Farm Plans are unjustified and unprecedented state control that removes the protection that people used to have from unfettered regulatory power.
- A better approach would be industry-led FarmPlans, in partnership with farmers; this would be more flexible with regional differences, tailored to each farm’s environment and issues. The outcome would be more empowering and motivating to farmers. This approach was requested by our farming groups but rejected by the Government.
- Some regions already have good uptake of their own regional Farm Plans, and the Government-mandated Farm Plans would undo and override this good work.
- It is a top-down, bureaucratic, heavy-compliance system with the writer of the Farm Plan, certifier and auditor all having to be different people. Councils are already struggling under the weight of multiple unworkable regulations and extensive requirements, lack of staff, and significant cost implications. The Government’s Farm Plan system adds to an already overloaded system.
- The Government-mandated Farm Plans will be publicly discoverable, meaning farmers’ private information could be accessed by the public or environmental activists.
I encourage you to join with our industry groups and Groundswell NZ in calling for an industry-led approach to Farm Plans.
Kind regards,
// YOUR NAME //
// FARM NAME //
