Rural Mobile Coverage Worse After 3G Shutdown, Survey Finds
Mobile phone coverage and reliability are deteriorating in rural areas, and farming families are bearing the cost, according to a Federated Farmers survey.
Federated Farmers president Colin Hurst says making everyday farming activities permitted activities “will unlock farming’s potential”.
He says it will cut unnecessary cost and complexity, give farmers the confidence to get on with farming and help grow the export-led economy.
"Top of Our Priority List"
Hurst says the policy sat at the top of the federation’s priority list for the incoming Government.
“We think it has the most potential to help transform our primary sector,” he says.
Federated Farmers released Backing Kiwi Farmers, a five-point plan to double farm productivity, cut costs and improve the environment, in June. It asked for 10 national standards.
“National have gone even further, announcing 19,” Hurst says.
What Is A Permitted Activity Standard?
Hurst says permitted activity standards are not a licence to do whatever a farmer wants. They set a clear benchmark farmers must meet to protect the environment.
“If those standards are met and you’re farming within the guardrails, you can just get on with the job,” he says. That means avoiding the cost, complexity, uncertainty and delays of resource consenting.
The Full List
Federated Farmers’ proposed standards were:
- Farm plans
- Vegetable growing
- On-farm water storage
- Gravel extraction
- Drain maintenance
- Effluent management
- Fertiliser application
- Farm quarries
- Wetland restoration
- Small and medium-scale solar
National has added:
- Micro-hydro
- Irrigation
- Energy storage
- Small-scale seasonal worker accommodation
- Farm tracks
- Agricultural aviation
- Culverts
- Offal holes
- Managing contaminated soils
The 19 standards build on work already done to reform the resource management system.
Exports and the Cost of Living
Hurst says the plan will help pave the way for farmers to double the value of agricultural exports to $106 billion by 2034.
He says it will also help families struggling with the cost of living. Barriers to farm production and the costs they create ultimately flow through to supermarket prices, he says, especially for fresh fruit and vegetables.
“This isn’t just a plan for farming; it’s a plan to grow the economy, grow our exports, and help New Zealanders get ahead,” Hurst says.
"Get Out of the Way"
Hurst says Federated Farmers has told the Government that if it wants to grow the economy, it should “get out of the way and let farmers get on with it”. He says farmers want to innovate, invest and increase production to drive export growth and lift living standards.
“With these standards replacing the need for consents, farmers can spend more time and money on growing their businesses and less on unnecessary bureaucracy,” he says.
