AGRIBUSINESS
MACHINERY & PRODUCTS
Dispelling wool’s myths.
Hilux ups the ante - yet again.
PAGE 14
NEWS Focus on farm environment plans PAGE 9
PAGE 31
TO ALL FARMERS, FOR ALL FARMERS NOVEMBER 17, 2020: ISSUE 714 www.ruralnews.co.nz
A dangerous precedent DAVID ANDERSON
A PROPOSAL by the Timaru District Council (TDC) to include larger setbacks in rural areas from roads, boundaries and neighbouring houses for dairy sheds, stock yards and “intensively farmed animals” in its draft district plan is raising eyebrows.
Farming groups are concerned that if successful, many other councils around the country may implement similar restrictions in rural areas. Hort NZ South Island environmental policy advisor Rachel McClung describes TDC’s proposal as “quite extreme” and believes it would have a major impact on
farmers and growers’ bottom lines. “How do you physically keep the ‘intensively farmed stock’ 100m back from boundaries?” she asks. “Do farmers retire a paddock, put in new fencing or change farming type? Surely this would devalue rural land in the district if it came into effect.” Federated Farmers senior
policy advisor Angela Johnson shares similar concerns. “We have never seen in a district plan anything so unnecessarily restrictive for animals on pasture – particularly given we’re talking about farm animals in the rural zone,” she told Rural News. Johnson says that, typically, this
type of setback relates to intensive farm building structures. However, Timaru’s proposed approach restricts where on paddocks farmers can have animals on their farm. “It’s significantly more restrictive than any government Essential Freshwater regulation rule,” she adds. “It’s worse in fact, as it doesn’t relate to intensity, or environmental effects. “There’s no logical connection between district plan considerations and grazing animals or feeding animals on winter crops or irrigated land.” Johnson says matters that relate to environmental impacts on waterways etc are dealt with through regional TO PAGE 3
Chipping away at N losses
TRACTA63465_RN
Hew Dalrymple of Waitatapia Station, near Bulls, in the Manawatu pictured at a recent a field day on the property, where an innovative drainage technology trial is capturing nitrogen and stopping it going into waterways. The large sheep and beef, arable, commercial growing and forestry operation is owned by Hew and his brother Roger Dalrymple, and preventing nitrogen getting into waterways is high on the priority list – as it is for many farmers and growers around the country. Hew Dalrymple says the brothers got involved in the trial because it enables them to stay ahead of the political game in terms of new regulations. He adds that it has also given them a better understanding about nitrogen movement and losses and how to control it. See the full story on pages 24-25
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