Federated Farmers has already launched a water royalty campaign, seeking financial support.
“We don’t agree with taxing water, particularly if it is just targeted at irrigators; we need financial support to gather evidence to show the full impacts of a proposed water royalty,” the Feds website says.
It plans to ask an independent economist to evaluate the short, medium and long term effects of a tax on irrigation water supply in New Zealand -- how it will impact on urban communities in rural areas where irrigation plays a key role in maintaining productivity and providing jobs.
