National promises farmers fewer consents under new rules

Reading Time: 2 minutes Craig McCulloch of RNZ

National is promising to let farmers carry out more work without council approval, saying simpler rules would help them grow more food and sell more overseas.

If re-elected, it would develop and introduce 19 sets of nationwide rules covering activities such as growing vegetables, storing water and dealing with animal waste.

The proposed standards would also make it easier to build farm tracks, extract gravel and house seasonal workers.

In many cases, farmers who met the conditions could do that work without first getting council permission, while other consent approvals would become “faster and cheaper”.

National leader Christopher Luxon and agriculture spokesperson Todd McClay made the commitment in its agriculture manifesto, which they unveiled at AgFest in Greymouth on Friday.

National said the new standards would be developed with farmers, growers and the wider sector but did not include a timeline for their introduction.

It said rules governing fertiliser and animal waste would still protect rivers and streams, but the detailed safeguards were not set out.

Much of the wider package repeats earlier announcements.

Five of the 19 proposed standards cover water storage, irrigation, solar power, small hydro schemes and batteries, all addressed in policies announced earlier this month.

McClay said record food and fibre exports put the country ahead of schedule for meeting National’s goal of doubling export earnings by 2034 and proved its “transformative work” was paying dividends.

However, higher export earnings can reflect higher prices as well as increased production.

The wider plan also included supporting up to 70 graduate vets a year to work in rural areas from 2027, roughly double the current number.

National put the extra cost at up to $3.4 million over four years, funded from the Ministry for Primary Industries’ existing budget.

It would also spend another $16 million over four years controlling wild deer, feral goats and other pests, using money collected through the international visitor levy.

This story was first published on rnz.co.nz

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