New Zealand farmers are on the brink of a significant shift, with the new Government planning a much-needed rewrite of the Resource Management Act (RMA).

Thankfully, the new Government has indicated that Labour’s fatally flawed RMA reforms, passed into law this year, will be repealed by Christmas, paving the way for a rewrite that’s fairer and much more practical for farmers.

The RMA is the most significant piece of legislation for farmers and touches almost every aspect of our lives. It also happens to be where most of the unworkable regulation from the past few years seems to be housed.

Freshwater rules proposing dramatic stocking rate reductions – that’s driven by directives in the RMA. Winter grazing rules – that’s RMA as well. Significant Natural Areas? You guessed it.

RMA processes have also become time-consuming and expensive. Resource consent is needed almost every time we lift a hammer or plant a crop. Instead, resource consents should be reserved for those truly complex projects needing expert analysis, like a new high-rise or harbour crossing.

Here’s an example of how bad the situation is right now. Federated Farmers were recently contacted by a Cantabrian who’d been told they needed a discretionary consent. This was going to require a $3600 application fee, consultant costs preparing paperwork, and then a hearing in front of an independent commissioner at a cost to the applicant of $11,000 for the first day and $7300 per day after. And that’s just one of the more than 1500 consents that Environment Canterbury say they process each year.

Surely this Cantabrian’s consent was for something major, like a new irrigation scheme or major urban development, right? Wrong – it was merely for a septic tank. You can’t make this stuff up.

Major reform is desperately needed; these rules must go. A new system needs to be put in place that properly rebalances the scales, allowing us to protect the environment while letting farmers get on with their job.

We can’t afford to wait another decade for change, and we can’t let excuses get in the way. We are demanding the Government deliver a new regime over the next three years.

Federated Farmers will be pushing hard for changes that will unlock the potential of our productive sectors and rural communities.

We need to see a clear split between the natural environment rules and the built environment rules. It’s ludicrous to use the same rules for protecting our great natural areas as we do for building a home or shed. A one-size-fits-all approach just isn’t working.

We also need new rules that clearly balance the property rights of landowners with the relevant interests of central and local government. This will likely require new ways of thinking about regulation.

Instead of the Government simply telling farmers that areas of their farm are now classified as ”Significant Natural Areas”, a property rights-driven approach would look to use existing institutions like the Queen Elizabeth II Trust to negotiate a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Resource management laws will be most effective if they can recognise the different environmental contexts and priorities across the country.

We’ll still need systems to manage environmental protection and building needs, but more responsibility should be given to regional and local governments to match their communities’ needs. This would give local voices more say.

Federated Farmers strongly believe RMA reform offers the possibility for transformation in the agricultural sector. We’ll be working hard to ensure these reforms deliver for farmers.

Photo: Mark Hooper Caption: Getting RMA reform right will unlock opportunities for farmers up and down the country, Federated Farmers resource management spokesperson Mark Hooper says.