They feel helpless not knowing what to do and not being able to get answers.
Essentially the Environment Court has dished up the draft plan that was initially notified by Horizons in 2007, this seen by farmers as a direct slap in the face.
Millions of dollars were spent fighting the plan, but to what end – another appeal?
Much anger is directed at DOC and Fish and Game who farmers see as having little regard for economic impacts in their quest for a very green plan.
The Environment Court is also seen as being out of touch with reality, failing to listen to the primary sector and having little regard for the economic consequences of its decision.
Horizons Regional Council’s chairman says the plan will have a positive economic effect, but commercial growers and farmers strongly dispute that claim and talk of job losses and people going out of business.
Some farmers are saying, let’s try to work it out with Horizons, given that the council has expressed willingness to work with us.
Others don’t trust Horizons, because of their feelings of having been betrayed by the council and the green movement. And they don’t trust some Horizons’ staff.
There seems little doubt Federated Farmers and other primary sector groups will lodge appeals. But that’s not as easy as it sounds because all they can appeal on is points of law – essentially the way the environment court judge ran the process or failed to give weight to certain arguments.
There is no guarantee an appeal will succeed or the overriding philosophy of the ‘new one plan’ will change much.
Farmers talk about denying access to their properties by Fish and Game members; that could make for interesting times.
The only serious option to killing off the plan would be for the Government to sack the Horizons council and, as with Environment Canterbury, appoint commissioners who could initiate a plan change.
That’s a big call, but it has appeal given the potential for economic harm in the present One Plan and the flow-on effects to the rest of New Zealand.
