This week I have a number of issues to consider. Firstly some 10 to 12 years ago I was actively involved in Federated farmers at Provincial level. During which time we had the Forestry Amendment Act which Federated Farmers executive members appeared to be under pressure to support. This I found concerning that we as farmers would lose a significant asset and property right.
Also at this time we had the restructuring of the Energy sector, splitting it into 2 separate parts, Distribution and Supply. I did a lot of work for our local branch, Ruapehu, on this. We found ourselves being convinced that it would be beneficial to our Regional Economies. In both these examples Policy Analysists appeared to be driving executive members thinking. Being younger and impressionable and wanting to be seen to be doing the right thing we sold our soul somewhat. Only to become older and wiser as the years have gone by. Lets look at the cost of supply of electricity to Rural consumers. Its gone through the roof, yet we still, in my case, have a single wire and the old railway iron pole with the original tanalised cross bar. Whats expensive about that? I guess up stream costs have escalated somewhat. But it appears decent profit is being generated for the owners which was not the objective when we debated the issue all those years ago.
Therefore it is somewhat with a heavy heart I read young Andrew Days, Provincial President of Tauarua Meat and Wool section, support in the last Horizons Regional Council Across the Region Magazine for Nitrogen Allowances to become part of a Regulatory box of tools for future regulation of hill country land use.
I fear within 15 years or so Andrew will regret this misdemeanor or error of wisdom. Wishing he had his time again. I fear Andrew is destined for higher honours in Regional Council Politics and I don’t think its going to be for the benefit of rate payers he will represent.
On the 18th of September Council released a letter from Animal Health Board Chairman John Dalziell, pointing out the financial consequences of Horizons reducing Council funding of the Animal Health Board by $280,000 over the past three years has resulted in the withdrawal of funding on a Dollar for Dollar basis from the Crown, Dairy, Beef and Deer Sector reducing the TB vector Control programme by $2 million. Mr Dalziel points out this is a serious blow to our Region and to the National TB Strategy, putting at risk the excellent gains made to date and leaving in doubt the Animal Health boards ability to push forward for eradication of TB Nationaly. Watch this space but it appears our Rural Rate payers on greater than 4 hectares are to foot the bill.
Well as you know the Emissions Trading Bill has passed into law, this National Govt has taken a huge leap to the left , something I predicted in a unpublished colume to the Farmers Weekly immeadiately after the last election. [Nov 07]
My next prediction is that Genesis will be transferred to Maoridom to settle Treaty Settlements and Maoridom will control a significant amount of water in both the Nth and Sth Is in a way I am sure none of us ever dreamed of. Copenhagen, Kyoto and Climate change are about the redistribution of wealth to 3rd world nations, and in NZ it is about Maoridom. case in point is the transfer of land in the DoC Estate to Maoridom to grow pine trees as compensation for what? reputed to be worth 2 billion $ in total. refference Farmers Weekly pg 32 Dec 09.
I understand owners of fishing quota e under immense pressure due to overly restrictive rules and regulations governing catches, low product prices. Sound familiar?
I note Mr Geoff is on about the National Govts plans for the foreshore and seabed, and quite rightly so, as the consequences are not readily apparent now, but believe you me ,will as time goes by. and Maoridom comes to own more and more of NZs coast line. I wonder if he has been reading my blog?
In the same Farmers Weekly,Dec 7,pg 9, Rodney Hide says the same thing. The deal negotiated between Maoridom and National exhibits all the worst features identified by critics of emissons trading schemes enabling credits to be handed over in a politicaly advantagous way. Kyoto is not about climate change believe you me. It is all about overly restrictive rules and regulations adding cost and destroying/transferring wealth. Did i hear a Senator Kennedy Jnr Jnr on tele last nght the 10th Dec, reffer to NZ as that communist state at the bottom of the Sth Pacific? No I am not joking.
But on the positive side, Wool Researchers have determined that sheep will save the world, with good old wool producing sheep sequesturing 1.5kg of carbon per flleece per ann. Imagine that, bettween growing wool and as a consequence, soils we sheep farmers can save the world. Do not hold your breath, with National firmly committed to the destruction of Agriculture, we havn,t a hope. I reckon on the rise and rise of Rodney Hde over the coming months to the 2011 elections. Believe you me NZ needs to move firmly to the right, because we are firmly on track to become the Fiji of the Sth Pacific. Of course there is always load mouthed puppy dogs who get plenty of media coverage to the contrary, swaying opinion.
On the 29th Oct I went on the Old Mans Beard Tour of Rangitiki organised by Regional Council. I viewed ist hand the the effects of this invasive weed pest plant on our indigenous biodiversity. Believe you me it is coming and there is not enough money in Regional Council coffers to do the job.
My view is that rate payers have to become more demanding on where rates are spent, to much political garbage, and the green Rig is a good example. We are still waiting for the refit, rumored to be more balanced in its content. Heres hoping. this brings me to Horizons Integrated Pest Management approach, something young Mr Day also is a great supporter of. To me there will be the odd year when there is very little money if any spent on Oppossum or visa versa Plant Pest management. I am already convinced that the regional catch trap rate @5-10% is far to high and Horizons will be merely farming them.
The Taumarunui Air Shed has operated smoothly and as hoped these last few months, never exceeded the allowable allowance, neither has Taihape, but I note that Palmerston Nth, Blow me down, did in its ist year [2006] and came close the following yr. Would you believe it. Horizons took it down and moved it too Taumarunui.
Our Regions Sewage Schemes are in the news in the Enviro Agenda and have been for while, along with the rest of Horizons Regions sewage schemes. They are all non compliant, under going upgrades, well Waiouru is not , it appears it has special dispenstation, but never the less polluting our rivers and streams with all that ecoli and N. What is the cost to our regions rate payers, [Ruapehu] and is farming getting the blame.
Three Carrot Growers have pulled out of the Waimarino this spring, with 2 moving their washing operations to other centers, Frankton and Pukekohe, for what is termed a restructuring of their bussiness. A third, A S Wilcox, decause they could not get a resource consent to abstract water from a un named stream. Loss of 7 jobs. What is more important. I can not figure out well paid decision makers sadistic thinking . It is almost as if they enjoy misery.
Destroy our Regional Economy and you will destroy the Enviroment. People will just Take.