The Country 17/11/25: David Clark talks to Jamie Mackay

Is a Mid Canterbury arable farmer, and former provincial president of Federated Farmers, who's fronting the campaign against the consenting crisis.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
David Clark is a Mid Canterbury arable farmer. It is
the seed bowl of New Zealand, beautiful arable country. He's
also the former Federated Farmer's President for Mid Canterbury. He's
also or you, David are also an arable farmer who
might have to convert to dairy farming just so he
can get a consent to carry on farming. How crazy

(00:20):
is that?

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Absolutely crazy? Jamie, Hey, look great to join you again
and talk with you. And look, it is a perverse
outcome that the nightmare of trying to renew a consent
in Canterbury looks like it's an easier pathway if we
converted a dairy rather than renewed our arable consent. But
the bigger issue and play here is just the complexity
of renewing and applying for resource consents. And that's why

(00:47):
the current government has clearly signaled that the RMA is
past its use by dating. There's a new legislation coming,
but we need to manage the transition.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
Well, you need some action before that new legislation comes
into play, so that end. I note that the FEDS
Federated Farmers, they've launched a petition calling on the government
to urgently step in and end the consent and crisis
affecting farmers up and down the country. But here's my
question for you, David Clark, based in Canterbury. There is

(01:15):
this an e can problem largely or is it affecting
farmers right across the country.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
So Federator Farmers have done a great job on this
that once I went public and raised the profile of
this issue, they then sought information from farmers facing similar
situations to us. And what's become evident is that there
is a whole raft of farming families from all across
New Zealand who are facing similar situations to us, and
in some cases actually the costs that they've incurred make

(01:44):
our situation look mild. Yes, it's far worse in Canterbury,
but it is an issue that is nationwide and that's
that's why it requires a solution from central government.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
So a recent survey shows the scale of the problem.
For we're out of five farmers worry about gaining or
renewing consents the APP I can't believe this. The average
cost of a new consent is nearly forty five thousand
dollars in some cases Canterbury farmers bless he can are
paying over sixty grand.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
And we're one of those farmers. Is not to be
called average once, Jamie. So our situation is here, we're
renewing a land use consent for an rible Is sheep
farm in the Canterbury Now we are meeting all zone
reduction targets and we have an A grade audit on
this property from December twenty twenty four. Now we applied

(02:38):
to renew our consent which we'd had for eight years,
just to answer the first request from information the section
ninety two, a request from he Can that will get
us to expenditure of sixty thousand dollars just to answer
the first request for information. No guarantee that that will

(02:59):
be the end of it, but sixty grand spent just
to that. Now, what is the point of it all?
Given where a farm meeting all the reduction targets and
have an A grade audit, what's to be gained by
spending an excess of sixty thousand dollars to renew an
ongoing status quo concent? I guess Jamie. That's why Government

(03:20):
have clearly signaled that the RAMA is passed. Its use
by date and they are with pace drafting new legislation.
You can't continue to expect farmers to renew resource consents
based on a regional plan and an RAMA that are
about to be completely rewritten. That there is no equity

(03:42):
in that, and that's why there's got to be a
paused to this whole process.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
So I guess you'd be fully supportive of the Prince
of the Province as Marta Shane Jones. He wants rid
of the regional councils. They're doing them themselves no favors,
I would think, especially he can when they're setting such
high for farmers just to get on with their business farming.

Speaker 2 (04:05):
So in my view he can of making this process
overtly complicated. And they're trying to embed rules within our consent.
So the NAHU Regional Policy Statement on fresh water they
want to embed in our consent. They are trying to
embed part of the freshwater plans of David Parkers. Now
they're gone Burger rules, but they're trying to embed those
in our consent. He can a making this overtly complicated.

(04:29):
I think we have a structural problem in New Zealand
with regional councils. We certainly do here within Canterbury. And yes,
I am fully supportive of the views of government that
Regional Counsel are. I need a complete structural change and
we need new organizations to competently and unbiasedly administer environmental

(04:53):
rules in New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (04:54):
Yeah, I failed to shove down my spine the ghost
of David Parker. Look, if you want to, if you
want to add your choice to the petition, go to
Consenting Crisis dot NZ. I'm going to go and put
my name to it. We've got to stop this bureaucratic
red tape getting in the way of productivity. David Clark,
thanks for your time. You, along with feder Aided Farmers,
keep up the good fight.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
Thanks very much, Jamie, have a great day.