• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • WHAT FEDS DOES
  • Download FEDSVoice
FedsNews

FedsNews

FedsNews

  • National
    • Agri Business
      • Maori Agri Business
      • Marketing
      • Agri Tech
    • Biosecurity
      • Mycoplasma Bovis
      • Pest Control
    • Environment
      • Climate Change
      • Water
      • Biodiversity
    • Infrastructure
      • Transport
      • Shipping
      • Freight
      • Roading
      • Telecommunications
    • Arable, Grains & Seeds
    • Dairy
    • Forestry
    • Horticulture
    • Meat
    • Wool
  • Local
    • Councils
    • Rates
    • Compliance
  • Politics
    • Economy
    • Elections
    • Education
    • Exports
    • Immigration
    • Trade
    • Tax
  • Opinion
  • People
    • Community
    • Events
    • Employment
    • Health and Wellness
    • Training
    • On Farm
      • Adverse Events
      • Animal Welfare
      • Health and Safety
      • Awards
      • Traceability
      • NAIT
      • Welfare
    • Farm Stories
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Feds disappointed with deadline extension refusal

August 30, 2021 by Simon Edwards

Federated Farmers is extremely disappointed with Otago Regional Council’s outright rejection of a multi-party request for a two week extension for all submitters on the Council’s Regional Policy Statement (RPS) review in light of the Covid lockdown.

“ORC chief executive Sarah Gardner – quite correctly – has told her staff that during the lockdown they should put themselves and their families first.  But her wellbeing sentiments clearly don’t appear to extend to those outside Council,” Federated Farmers Otago President Mark Patterson says.

Mark Patterson: “The RPS is too important a document for submitters to gamble with missing a deadline on.”

Submissions on the RPS are due on Friday, but the snap lockdown has effectively derailed many submitters from keeping to that deadline.  

“Not only are there issues with available IT equipment, printed material, internet capacity, and the ability for submitters to work together, but there’s the complication of people now having to balance work tasks with home schooling and childcare responsibilities,” Mark said.

“On top of that, even prior to lockdown, our farmers and growers were facing significant stress and concern around access to necessary seasonal and full-time workers. Lockdown pressures have added to that, making it extremely difficult for farmers and growers to meaningfully and effectively find the time and energy to provide input to submissions.”

On August 24 Federated Farmers South Island Policy Manager Kim Reilly, writing also on behalf of HorticultureNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, Otago Water Resource Users Group and Landpro Limited, and with the support of other parties, requested a two week extension for all submitters in light of COVID-19 lockdown impacts. 

Feds understands at least one environmental group also wanted the extension, and a number of the councillors who were aware of our call backed it.

However, late on Friday Sarah Gardner rejected the request, and suggested instead that submitters should lodge late submissions, noting that Council had already granted above the minimum submission timeframe on this process.

“Our response is that the RPS is too important a document for submitters to gamble with missing a deadline on,” Mark said.

“Besides that, the fact Council initially granted above the minimum submission timeframe for submitters was to recognise that the submission period included weeks in which submitters were working on three concurrent ORC planning processes pushed straight to the Environment Court, and a number of critical national submissions.”

Council’s lack of empathy and ‘kindness’ is in direct contrast to the approach taken by the Government, which recently announced a fortnight extension to its own submission deadlines in light of the Covid19 lockdown.

“This RPS is a critical document for Otago and submitters need to have sufficient time to pull together robust and thoughtful input,” Mark said.

“Nobody is denying the need to ensure an efficient, timely and constructive planning and hearing process for the RPS, but it seems that yet again, Council is putting bureaucracy before wellbeing, and inflexibility ahead of long-term stakeholder relationship building,” Mark said.

Filed Under: Councils, Environment, Health and Wellness, Local, People, Water

Primary Sidebar

Spotlight

EU approves methane-reducing feed additive Bovaer®

February 25, 2022 By Bronwyn Wilson

More to see

Andrew wraps the week…

Honouring the arable sector’s tall poppies

Good Employer Awards celebrate food and fibre sector

Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network welcomed as “a force for rural health”

Kiwi farmers filling food banks 

Forestry bill fails to achieve fairness

Tags

Agribusiness andrew hoggard animal welfare Arable awards beef Beef+Lamb bees biosecurity climate change competition consumer councils COVID-19 Covid-19 effects dairy DairyNZ dairy prices Damien O'Connor economics economy education emissions employment environment exchange rates exports free trade agreements government health and safety innovation meat on-farm safety OSPRI rates red meat safety science sustainability technology trade transport water wool worksafe

Footer

Federated Farmers is New Zealand’s leading independent rural advocacy organisation.

The federation’s aim is to add value to the business of farming for our members and encouraging sustainability through good management practice.

Recent

  • Honouring the arable sector’s tall poppies
  • Good Employer Awards celebrate food and fibre sector
  • Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network welcomed as “a force for rural health”
  • Kiwi farmers filling food banks 
  • Forestry bill fails to achieve fairness

Search

Tags

Agribusiness andrew hoggard animal welfare Arable awards beef Beef+Lamb bees biosecurity climate change competition consumer councils COVID-19 Covid-19 effects dairy DairyNZ dairy prices Damien O'Connor economics economy education emissions employment environment exchange rates exports free trade agreements government health and safety innovation meat on-farm safety OSPRI rates red meat safety science sustainability technology trade transport water wool worksafe

Federated Farmers of New Zealand