Parting shot?
OPINION: Environment Minister David Parker, likely in the final weeks of the job, remains hell-bent on burning bridges with farmers.
Groundswell NZ organisers say a lack of response from the Government has led it to plan another major nationwide protest event later in the year.
It says while a date in November is yet to be set, the expectation is the next protest action will be of a "scale and impact that will be significant in New Zealand's history".
Spokesman Bryce McKenzie says there is widespread concern among both rural and urban people, councils and the business sector about the direction the Government is taking our country and the tsunami of unworkable regulations being rammed through.
McKenzie says in the lead up to November's nationwide protest, several actions will be undertaken.
The first is for the next three Fridays at 12.30pm, under the banner "CAN YOU HEAR US", Groundswell is calling for 2 minutes of support by every car, bike, truck, train - anything with a horn - tooting in support of its campaign.
The group is also writing to all councils around NZ calling for a halt to all RMA planning processes. In tandem with writing to councils, Groundswell NZ is calling for all landowners to decline access for councils or their agents wanting to undertake mapping or information gathering on private land.
"We are not against the need for regulation or the need to care for the environment," McKenzie says. "Nor are we calling for a halt to addressing environmental issues. We are saying there are much better, proven solutions to addressing environmental issues than the one-size-fits-all approach being legislated by the Government."
He adds that the group has recently added the Three Waters reform and the Water Services Bill to its growing list of unworkable regulations.
Federated Farmers claims that the Otago Regional Council is charging ahead unnecessarily with piling more regulation on rural communities.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.
Listed Canterbury milk processor Synlait’s shares have been placed in a trading halt.
OPINION: Even before the National-led coalition came into power, India was very much at the fore of its trade agenda.
A step-by-step guide helping farmers through the process of creating a Freshwater Farm Plan (FWFP) has been launched by FarmIQ.
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