October 1, 2025 • 7 mins
Penny Simmons responds to accusations by the Green Party regarding a conflict of interest over a water consents dispute.
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Speaker 1 (00:15):
Welcome back to the Master. Penny Simmons is MP form
for Cargole. She is Minister for the Environment, amongst other portfolios. Penny,
good afternoon.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
It's good afternoon, Andy, tell you what.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
We need some sunshine down here. Today's a better start.
But it's been a slug over the last couple of weeks. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Well, look, I have to confess I haven't been there
this week. I left on Monday, but I'm coming back
tonight and i've heard the reports. It's been pretty miserable.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Hey Penny, what's the story about the Green's accusing you
of a conflict of interests regarding lobbying councils.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Yeah, look, it's an absolute nonsense. I've been dealing with
counsels and farmers for the last eighteen months, two years.
You'll recall that it started with the Otago Regional Council
and there's been a number of things that I've been
dealing with with the environment Southland. Six farmers came to
(01:11):
meet with me and Todd McClay and Andrew Hoggard or
Todd McKay's office. Actually Tod wasn't there. But we've got
this happening across the country where regional councils haven't perhaps
picked up on the fact that there are major changes
occurring with the RIMA and they do have the discretion
(01:34):
within the RIMA to you know, to look at the
consents in a way that is going to align with
what the direction the government is going. And so as
a result of this, Lisa has gone out today from
myself and Chris Bishop and Todd McLay just informing all
(01:56):
the regional councils and unitary authorities that we expect them
to be very mindful of the changes that are coming,
particularly around the consenting processes. There will be some activities
that have to be consented now that will be permitted
to activities that won't need consents, and they need to
be very mindful of that. And at a time when
(02:18):
we are wanting a productive primary sector to be really
going well, we do not want bureaucracies getting in the
road of that. So the conflict of interest is a nothing.
One of the other MP's National MPs who's redmain her
(02:39):
farm was part of those six that came to visit me.
But I've been meeting with farmers up and down the country.
This Saturday, I'm at Ashburton meeting with a number of
farmers that Federated Farmers are organizing the meeting because of
issues that they are having with consenting with environment can
(03:00):
So it's i think just getting the regional councils to
realize that there is going to be quite a significant
change and their consenting processes need to be very mindful
of those changes that are coming under the RIMA.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Well, the Green parties in non mind that you're using
your political influence here to go through as Minister for
the Environment and go into bat for a select group
of farmers as such.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah, well it's an interesting one because I've been going
into bat for farmers right across the country and they
see it as inappropriate me writing Two Horizons, which was
the regional council that the group of six farmers that
came to see me were in, and I wrote to
them and asked why the consenting process was taking so
(03:49):
long and what the issues were, and I'm quite within
my rights as Minister for the Environment to ask that must.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Get frustrating though we're trying it just to help people.
It's just going to be mindful of so much. There's
so many different things that can catch you out of suppose.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah, yeah, there are, but the process was good there.
Sue's remain cleared the conflict of interest, said that her
husband was one of the farmers coming to see me
and had no further part in it. Had her husband
not been there, she would have been advocating much more strongly.
She would have been at the meeting, but she wasn't
at the meeting. I didn't discuss anything of the meeting
(04:28):
with her or any of the outcomes of what we
were going to do, so we kept it separate. But
you know, we have to be out there advocating for
our farmers when the councils are not following the direction
of where we're heading. And so that's been one of
the main issues for farmers, this consenting process, these consenting
(04:49):
processes with the regional council just has not been mindful
of the new direction. And look at the Green Party
are very aligned with the regional councils. There's quite a
strong Green movement in the regional councils and so they're
(05:09):
naturally not as happy about the changes as we are.
But the changes are going to happen because our RIMA
is going to be about ensuring that land use can
be freed up and that people can be making sure
their productive sector is performing well.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
This is a bit of story south On Hospital. The
emergency department extra funding has been allocated and even knows
they need it.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yes, yeah, look they do. And Simon Brown is making
a really good job of getting funding where it needs
to be and also putting in place these targets that
are really improving across the country in terms of immunization rates,
the children are waiting time stopping in the emergency departments,
(06:01):
quick quicker access to cancer treatments. So he is pushing
really hard to have patients front and center of everything
that's done there and making sure that the money gets
to the front line. So I'm very pleased that we're
managing to get a bit more funding for our emergency department.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Can we see any light at the tunnel at some
stage regarding waiting times at emergency departments?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Penny, Yes, I hope so, And that's certainly one of
the key things that he has got. What are the
key indicators that he's got that he wants to see
waiting times coming down and he wants to really see
a focus on the patient.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Penny Simmons MP from the cargol always appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Thanks very much. Hey day Bye.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Penny Simmons, Minister for the Environment as well as being
MP from mcagall. You're listening to the Master up next
for only Youang from beef Let, New Zealand, become comfortably
love
Welcome back to the Master. Penny Simmons is MP form
for Cargole. She is Minister for the Environment, amongst other portfolios. Penny,
good afternoon.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
It's good afternoon, Andy, tell you what.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
We need some sunshine down here. Today's a better start.
But it's been a slug over the last couple of weeks. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Well, look, I have to confess I haven't been there
this week. I left on Monday, but I'm coming back
tonight and i've heard the reports. It's been pretty miserable.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Hey Penny, what's the story about the Green's accusing you
of a conflict of interests regarding lobbying councils.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Yeah, look, it's an absolute nonsense. I've been dealing with
counsels and farmers for the last eighteen months, two years.
You'll recall that it started with the Otago Regional Council
and there's been a number of things that I've been
dealing with with the environment Southland. Six farmers came to
(01:11):
meet with me and Todd McClay and Andrew Hoggard or
Todd McKay's office. Actually Tod wasn't there. But we've got
this happening across the country where regional councils haven't perhaps
picked up on the fact that there are major changes
occurring with the RIMA and they do have the discretion
(01:34):
within the RIMA to you know, to look at the
consents in a way that is going to align with
what the direction the government is going. And so as
a result of this, Lisa has gone out today from
myself and Chris Bishop and Todd McLay just informing all
(01:56):
the regional councils and unitary authorities that we expect them
to be very mindful of the changes that are coming,
particularly around the consenting processes. There will be some activities
that have to be consented now that will be permitted
to activities that won't need consents, and they need to
be very mindful of that. And at a time when
(02:18):
we are wanting a productive primary sector to be really
going well, we do not want bureaucracies getting in the
road of that. So the conflict of interest is a nothing.
One of the other MP's National MPs who's redmain her
(02:39):
farm was part of those six that came to visit me.
But I've been meeting with farmers up and down the country.
This Saturday, I'm at Ashburton meeting with a number of
farmers that Federated Farmers are organizing the meeting because of
issues that they are having with consenting with environment can
(03:00):
So it's i think just getting the regional councils to
realize that there is going to be quite a significant
change and their consenting processes need to be very mindful
of those changes that are coming under the RIMA.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Well, the Green parties in non mind that you're using
your political influence here to go through as Minister for
the Environment and go into bat for a select group
of farmers as such.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah, well it's an interesting one because I've been going
into bat for farmers right across the country and they
see it as inappropriate me writing Two Horizons, which was
the regional council that the group of six farmers that
came to see me were in, and I wrote to
them and asked why the consenting process was taking so
(03:49):
long and what the issues were, and I'm quite within
my rights as Minister for the Environment to ask that must.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Get frustrating though we're trying it just to help people.
It's just going to be mindful of so much. There's
so many different things that can catch you out of suppose.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah, yeah, there are, but the process was good there.
Sue's remain cleared the conflict of interest, said that her
husband was one of the farmers coming to see me
and had no further part in it. Had her husband
not been there, she would have been advocating much more strongly.
She would have been at the meeting, but she wasn't
at the meeting. I didn't discuss anything of the meeting
(04:28):
with her or any of the outcomes of what we
were going to do, so we kept it separate. But
you know, we have to be out there advocating for
our farmers when the councils are not following the direction
of where we're heading. And so that's been one of
the main issues for farmers, this consenting process, these consenting
(04:49):
processes with the regional council just has not been mindful
of the new direction. And look at the Green Party
are very aligned with the regional councils. There's quite a
strong Green movement in the regional councils and so they're
(05:09):
naturally not as happy about the changes as we are.
But the changes are going to happen because our RIMA
is going to be about ensuring that land use can
be freed up and that people can be making sure
their productive sector is performing well.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
This is a bit of story south On Hospital. The
emergency department extra funding has been allocated and even knows
they need it.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yes, yeah, look they do. And Simon Brown is making
a really good job of getting funding where it needs
to be and also putting in place these targets that
are really improving across the country in terms of immunization rates,
the children are waiting time stopping in the emergency departments,
(06:01):
quick quicker access to cancer treatments. So he is pushing
really hard to have patients front and center of everything
that's done there and making sure that the money gets
to the front line. So I'm very pleased that we're
managing to get a bit more funding for our emergency department.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Can we see any light at the tunnel at some
stage regarding waiting times at emergency departments?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Penny, Yes, I hope so, And that's certainly one of
the key things that he has got. What are the
key indicators that he's got that he wants to see
waiting times coming down and he wants to really see
a focus on the patient.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Penny Simmons MP from the cargol always appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Thanks very much. Hey day Bye.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Penny Simmons, Minister for the Environment as well as being
MP from mcagall. You're listening to the Master up next
for only Youang from beef Let, New Zealand, become comfortably
love
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