Hi Wendy. Just as laugh I am having with our good friends.
But I am not laughing at my fertilizer bill. Like most hill country farmers struggling with the balancing act of getting the fert on at the optimum time and being able to afford it, It is a stress trip. I recon that putting my fert on June/July grows a extra 20kg/DM/hec through August. I used to do pasture cuts. When you are lambing through August that is worth another 10% of lambs. Well I ordered and applied the fert ,130 T in July last yr 2016. The order was for $36,000. it was 2 different mix’s the smaller order 52T had potash plus sulphur. included. The larger order of 80T was a straight NO7 mix. It was also supposed to have sulpher but for some unknown reason missed out. I deferred it for 3mths and was billed to my merchants account 1 Nov. Appearing on my statement 2 days later. Money was all I was interested in, yes $36,000. Not wanting to bother the bank I moved it onto a credit line facility with the merchant pushing it out the 20th of Feb 2017. Out goes the dosh $46,000. What on earth is going on. It took me all yesterday afternoon to get to the bottom of it. And was I confused. The Fert company did not pass on the last 52T of the order to the merchant till 28th October 2016. $9,000 plus GST. They deferred it till 20th Feb 2017 and said nothing. So up comes the $36,000 on the credit line facility for payment as expected, on the monthly statement is another $10,300 for deferred fert. Of course I was trying to look at the monthly statement to make head or tail of it with out my reading glasses whilst listening to the lady in charge of fert orders at the merchant try and tell I had bought more fert in October and deferred it. You can imagine my face and manner with all this coming at me. Once I contacted the rep and found my reading glasses’ it all became clear. Good God suicide stuff.
So on to Regional Council. Yep I recon that Horizons Regional Councils precious One Plan is coming down to the wire. Why say you. Last week was Horizons day in court. Actually 2 days. with the Environmental Protection Society seeking a court declaration stating that Horizons implementation of report 13-124 dated 25th June 2013 was unlawful. I cannot argue with that. In terms of the Environment Court decision and the RMA that is right. The court decision is still to be released could be weeks away. But true to their word yesterday at Horizons Regional C meeting report no 17-18 . Purpose to revoke a previous resolution. namely resolution 13-500 which is subsequent to report 13-124.
So now by my interpretation we are back to the Environment Court decision. Bad Bad news for all resource users in Horizons region. I spoke with my contact last night who says that as soon as the court decision is out Horizons will seek a Plan Change. And Mike Joy and others will not like it one bit. It will have to go out for consultation and could soak up big dosh. $ 1 mill is being bandied about and take months if not years. I am privy to the outcome sought by most councilors and at least one District Council, and a economic development group/activist what ever. That is the removal of table 14.2 and supporting documents, rules etc. That will be the end of the One Plans as they are recognized. In that each plan leads to one out come. LAND USE CHANGE. To achieve that objective the Plans need table 14.2 and associated info and rules. In the mean time all resource consent applications are on hold.
There we go. My man lined up Bruce Gordon the chair MWRC and requested a enquiry into how Council found its self in this position. If you have been reading my blogg for along time I have described the events that lead to this sorry state of affairs. Bruce Gordon was right amongst it. As was one sitting councilor, Colleen Sheldon and including the CEO McCartney. All have breached their codes of conduct and in the CEO,s case his employment contract. 2 other councilors at that time, Jill White ex Mayor PNCC and member of Parliament, and Murray Guy, now a director on Center Port. have since stood down. No wonder Gordon refused a enquiry. Well to my mind we are going to have a plan change and it will be as described. Why. To save those beggars arse,s. For no other reason.
Horizons are pointing the media in the same direction with articles such as those found in the Ruapehu Bulletin 31st Jan 2017 pg 7. Applied Science back in the water debate. It states water quality with the odd exception in Horizons region is grt and is still improving. All credit to the industries and councils involved. Did not get that in my day.
What a about face by Environment Minister Nick Smith over just a few days. There he was on TV1 Breakfast Friday 24th Jan. Water Quality Swimmable every river by 2040. Huge cost to sheep/beef industry. $360 mill ion. No mention of Urban sewage and waste water plants. Even the presenter Jack the Pratt made a right pratt of him self insisting that mean,t 100% of the time. Great Jack .After you when the next flood hits.
But just days later here Smith is again on TV1 and in the media. New swimmable water target challenging. Govt has done a complete about face and gutted the water quality standard for ecoli and included dissolved oxygen. Bringing them into line with international standards. Farmers are happy ecologists are not claiming the goal post have been shifted. NZ Farmers Weekly Feb 27th 2017 pg 3. Thats a bit rich to my and others minds. As when we were submitters to the POP the goal posts were constantly being shifted. Now it seems the boot is on the other foot. To ecologist and greeny vet what ever, credit must go to Dr Alison Dewes.
she does comment that the arrow had been aimed “to hard” at the dry stock sector with stream bank fencing. It seems that land over 15 degrees is exempt. This is a must read.
I wonder how this will impact on the Waikato Regional Council proposed plan . National Water Quality Standards is what I am talking about. Sec 44A RMA. Cannot conflict with.
Last week I introduced my self to the new CEO Ruapehu District Council. Gave him a lot of info and including our Advisory group report that describes Chairman Gordons and fellow councilors actions including McCartneys activities with regard to the Environment Court. Also property Rights Appeal to the High Court ,again I have described this in previous posts .
We talked about the District Councils taking back their roles and functions as described in the appeal, and how this could be achieved. I feel that Horizons have never been more vulnerable and now is the time for action.
I also alerted him to the provisions of the Whanganui River Settlement and asked him not to allow council to devolve their last function they still have. Natural hazards. This includes sediment. and gave him my interpretation of the Ministry for the Environments discussion paper, Ideas for implementing sec 8 RMA. Taking into Account the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. Had a chap out of the blue refer to this and the outcome which is being implemented through Local Govt. He worked for Local Govt, but never the less shocked me. Seems the general public are slowly waking up to what is driving all this environmental stuff. Good or bad. I wonder what is going to happen when the media show some balls and start asking the hard questions of the likes of Finlayson and Smith plus others. Believe me the media have this document but state it is tooo way out to even think about printing. There you go guys. Controversial as ever.
I had plenty to talk about but Nick Smiths action s last week have chopped me off at the knees.
Catch ya.