increase font size
Environment Minister David Parker.
Environment Minister David Parker is ruling out giving farmers any longer to make submissions on freshwater reforms.
He told Rural News that two months is enough for farmers to make submissions.
“We think people can submit within that time. Two months is not too much of a rush,” he said.
Earlier this month, the Government agreed to extra time for submissions -- two weeks beyond the October 17 closing date first set for the consultation period.
This followed requests from DairyNZ and Federated Farmers, whose president Katie Milne also wrote to the Prime Minister seeking a three-month extension.
Parker says a six-week consultation is the normal period for parliamentary select committees. He says feedback from his officials suggests the NZ-wide meetings are “progressing well”.
People have been “polite” but some were wound up by Federated Farmers’ claims that the freshwater reforms could signal the end of pastoral farming, Parker claims.
“It’s not surprising that those incendiary comments had some people worried, but discussions have been polite,” he said. “It’s just not correct. Federated Farmers are wrong.”
The reforms include interim controls on land intensification and dairy conversions, until councils have plans in place by 2025 through a new National Environmental Standard.
Parker doesn’t expect too much pushback against this as “it’s in no one’s interest that this problem gets worse before it gets better”.
“Because if it’s allowed to get worse through increased intensification that puts more burden on all the incumbents to clean up in the future. My sense is there isn’t much controversy over holding the line.”
He believes there will be greater concerns about nitrogen attributes. “We haven’t quite landed on the nitrogen attribute yet.”
Parker says he plans to attend a public consultation but he hasn’t decided which one.
Opening the WaterNZ Conference in Hamilton last week, he expressed confidence that NZ will meet the challenges of improving its waterways.
And he said the work should begin without delay.
“We need to start taking action now. We really can’t sit on our hands while water quality continues to deteriorate in many rivers and lakes.
“The longer we wait, the higher the cost of fixing it will be.”
OPINION: New economic modelling confirms what many of us in Hawke's Bay have long understood - getting water security right for this region is one of the most important decisions we face as a community. Not just for farmers, but for everyone who lives, works and builds a future here.
With six months until the election, Federated Farmers says the Government is running out of time to deliver its long-promised reform to the country's freshwater system.
A drain is sometimes considered a negative word associated with depletion, exhaustion and loss of resources.
Water management is an integral component of sustainable farming practices, according to Watermetrics.
OPINION: The proverbial has really hit the fan in Wellington and exposed a glaring example of a double standard in environmental accountability.
Forestry Minister Todd McClay has today congratulated the winners of the 2026 Growing Native Forests Champions Awards at Fieldays.
The Government has announced $60,000 to provide one-off grants of $1,000 to each of the 60 New Zealand Young Farmers (NZYF) clubs across the country.
New Zealand’s rural sector has once again demonstrated its generosity, with the second Rural Industry Leaders Dinner, Debate and Auction raising an impressive $400,000 for the Rural Support Trust.
There has been another twist to the Federated Farmers annual election fiasco.
Analysis of decades of research has revealed the implementation of good farming practices plays a critical role in reducing nutrient losses to improve freshwater outcomes.
Yesterday the Government used the opening of Fieldays to announce a major investment, as part of its Land Use Flexibility package, to support a more productive and sustainable future across six sectors including dairy.
OPINION: While we're on the topic of lumberjacks, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard has no doubt used a chainsaw hundreds of…
OPINION: To a chorus of crying greenies, and not a minute too soon, the Government has moved to put the…
