February 16, 2026 • 8 mins
Jason Herrick wants the same standards to be followed regarding accidental urban sewerage discharge, "just like any farmer wound be."
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Speaker 1 (00:11):
Jason Herrick has president of South con Federative Farmers and
joins us once again. Jason how Siggs.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Yeah, not too bad. Indy has been a bit of
a slow start to the week after field Days last
week and you know, coming down off that high and
getting a bit of rest and relaxation. Yeah, it was
a good week.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
You were wearing a number of hats at field Days
last week for you. How did you find the event?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Oh, the event was very, very positive overall. I didn't
feel there was the same amount of people through the gate,
but I might be proven wrong on that to other years,
but you know, as a whole, most people were positive.
Confidence is pretty high in the in the sectre at
the moment in because of the you know, the financial
situation is pretty okay apart from arable, but morales still
(01:01):
still relatively low out there because of the uncertainty of
the future and a lot of things hanging over our heads,
especially around farm plans. And obviously it's a possible change
of government this year, so you know, there're still a
little bit of egg idea around about that, quite a.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Bit of talk around the change if a change of
government comes in. Do you think there's still fullfront for
a lot of people, because I don't know. If you
look at the poles at the moment, three out of
four poles are saying status quoe and the other one
split down the middle.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yeah, you can look at and read into the poles
all you like, but we all know what happens on
election day is that's the one that result that counts,
right So you know, yet they're probably an indication about
how people are thinking, possibly right now, but we don't
know the ins and out. I don't pualbly trust the
poles at the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Speaking of Poles, Jamie McKay of course talking about Wayne
Wangford possibly put his head in for labor on the
West Coast, do you have read much into this?
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Absolutely not. I've had some conversations with Wayne about that
and he like, really no, that's She's probably the first
thing from Wayne's mind right now in regards to that.
And you know, I mean, I can understand what Jamie
is thinking that because it's wide open on the West
coast with Damien moving to the White Tiki and more
and standing down, But you know, definitely the furthest thing
from men's.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Mind right now, if that where to happen. Will that
be the kind of job you go for being the
boss of FEDS.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yeah, I'll definitely coneplate put my head in the ring eventually,
but it's definitely one that you have to take your
time getting to the top and learning the ropes once
you get to Wellington. But yeah, it's definitely something that's
in the front of my mind.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
So it's not a no.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
It's definitely not a no.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
No. Interesting how this pans out anyway, but look, field
Day's fantastic event and interesting how you say as well.
The mood was a little bit subdued because I think, yes,
you've always got your big ticket items and people are
enjoying prices the way they are at the moment, like
you say, Arable, perhaps a bit sketchy, but on a
whole I think people walked around and I'm just happy
(02:54):
to be out and about in the sunshine on the
Thursday anyway, and just talking to people about positivity in
the sectors.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Definitely clock it wasn't a half on the Thursday, you know,
and but you know, it just definitely got gets a
lot of people off farm and get them out into
the community and you get to catch up and you know,
just like one of the wet hats that I was
wearing with Craig Wigans and lean on the gate. You know,
you get the opportunity to go lean on a gate
a few days and have a chat to everybody and
and you don't find out what that what else is
(03:23):
going on in the world, because to be honest, most
farmers actually don't really recognize what goes on in the
world until they move off arm. So that was great,
and it was good to see everybody out and.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
About Wellington's mower Point wastewater treatment plant failing catastrophically and
the feeds press release that came out recently sending an
estimated seventy million leaders of untreated sir It's train into
the ocean every day. Eric Royd talked about this yesterday, Jason,
and I don't know, you'd like to think there's some
accountability over this.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
It's got to be accountability because if the shoe was
on the other foot and it was an accident from
a farm where we're all working rawle was pumped into
a wood away, I can guarantee you there'll be all
sorts of merror health and the farmer will be held
to account. Right, there's no two ways about it. So
you know, there shouldn't be no different for councils and
for Irvin when this sort of stuff happens, and that
(04:13):
actually happens in the Bicago often as well, you know,
in her own neck of the woods quite often see it.
And you know, I beat home about this cost of
recovery and voicing that farmers get for investigations and so forth.
Is it the same way around for city councils and
so forth. So you know, the sho's got to be
the same on both beat and you know, you can't
(04:34):
pick and choose where you hold accountability and where you don't.
And it just seems a bit wrong in the sense
because it doesn't seem like there's going to be much accountability.
And you've got to take your head off to the
man who resigned this week over it. He obviously didn't
feel like it was heading in the right direction and
that's his way of showing accountability and resigning. So you know,
(04:55):
yet there's definitely needs to be a lot more of that.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
So your press release goes on they say it's great
Wellington Regional Council's role to be the primary regulator when
it comes to wastewater overflows or breaches of waste wastewater consents.
That means it's g w c's job to take enforcement action.
But the councilor is a one six shareholder of Wellingdon Water,
the company responsible for the discharge.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Correct, So who's who's accountable and who's not. You know,
they are launching an inquiry into this, which is good
to hear, but at the end of the day, we're
going to see transparency across the whole thing. I would
I would argue not, I don't see. I don't think
we get a whole lot of transparency out of our
regional councils and get the truth on a lot of sense.
(05:40):
So yep, it's definitely one to watch see where accountability sits.
But currently we don't get a whole lot of accountability
in our local body organizations like regional councils.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
So you guys are fed. Will be pressing the bottom
more or less until you get somebody coming out of
this for a bit of blame.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Absolutely, Like like I said, if it was a farmer
and the shoe was on the other foot, they'll be
crucified all through the media. Accountability taken a court big fines,
you know, so it's got to go on to the
other foot too, So you know, there does have to
be accountability here, no two ways about it. So we
will definitely be speaking up for the farmer's rights on
this and make sure that there is accountability at the
(06:21):
end of the day.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Does this give the idea of three Waters a bit
of credence?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
No, not really, I don't think to be honest. I
mean three Waters is still there in the background, just
with a different name on it and a different label.
At the end of the day, this comes down to
historical infrastructure and lack of money going into it. You know,
we've had too much in the past of like the
haves and making everything beautiful rather than you know, fixing
(06:48):
the infrastructure underground first and foremost, so you know, taking
ratepayers money and not putting it where it needs to go.
I'm not sure whether three Waters would fix it or not,
or whether it would carry down the same tribuctory because
at the end of the day, there's no accountability in
these roles and in these jobs, and until there is,
we're going to keep I think personally seeing much.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Of the same greenpeace as well. God bless and they're
not doing much around the situation Wellington Harbor, but that
poor seven and Raquai has been vandalized over the past
twenty four hours and they put in the blame squarely
on dairy farming.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Oh they tried it in Gore right, And you know,
we need some locals up there coming out swinging against
Greenpeace because these guys are an organization out of control.
They get to do and think they can do what
they want. At the end of the day, they need
their charitable status removed from them asap straight away because
they're not acting like a charitable company or organization are
(07:45):
They're not very charitable whatsoever. You don't get the right
to storm things and vandalize things and behave the way
they do. So, yeah, the sooner they remove the charitable
status away from Greenpeace.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
The better. We've been talking this quite a while, Jason.
Actually going to see anything developed, well.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
We've definitely got politicians talking about it. There's definitely various
parties talking about the removal of the charitable status. So
walking thing in that drum until such time as that,
you know, we get that across the line.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Good on you, Jason, always appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
You're welcome, thank and you have a good apening.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Jason Herrick of South con Federated Farmers, you're listening to
the Muster and Hakaniui grand Is ast McMaster is up
next with his world famous dog trial results.
Jason Herrick has president of South con Federative Farmers and
joins us once again. Jason how Siggs.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Yeah, not too bad. Indy has been a bit of
a slow start to the week after field Days last
week and you know, coming down off that high and
getting a bit of rest and relaxation. Yeah, it was
a good week.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
You were wearing a number of hats at field Days
last week for you. How did you find the event?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Oh, the event was very, very positive overall. I didn't
feel there was the same amount of people through the gate,
but I might be proven wrong on that to other years,
but you know, as a whole, most people were positive.
Confidence is pretty high in the in the sectre at
the moment in because of the you know, the financial
situation is pretty okay apart from arable, but morales still
(01:01):
still relatively low out there because of the uncertainty of
the future and a lot of things hanging over our heads,
especially around farm plans. And obviously it's a possible change
of government this year, so you know, there're still a
little bit of egg idea around about that, quite a.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Bit of talk around the change if a change of
government comes in. Do you think there's still fullfront for
a lot of people, because I don't know. If you
look at the poles at the moment, three out of
four poles are saying status quoe and the other one
split down the middle.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yeah, you can look at and read into the poles
all you like, but we all know what happens on
election day is that's the one that result that counts,
right So you know, yet they're probably an indication about
how people are thinking, possibly right now, but we don't
know the ins and out. I don't pualbly trust the
poles at the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Speaking of Poles, Jamie McKay of course talking about Wayne
Wangford possibly put his head in for labor on the
West Coast, do you have read much into this?
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Absolutely not. I've had some conversations with Wayne about that
and he like, really no, that's She's probably the first
thing from Wayne's mind right now in regards to that.
And you know, I mean, I can understand what Jamie
is thinking that because it's wide open on the West
coast with Damien moving to the White Tiki and more
and standing down, But you know, definitely the furthest thing
from men's.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Mind right now, if that where to happen. Will that
be the kind of job you go for being the
boss of FEDS.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yeah, I'll definitely coneplate put my head in the ring eventually,
but it's definitely one that you have to take your
time getting to the top and learning the ropes once
you get to Wellington. But yeah, it's definitely something that's
in the front of my mind.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
So it's not a no.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
It's definitely not a no.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
No. Interesting how this pans out anyway, but look, field
Day's fantastic event and interesting how you say as well.
The mood was a little bit subdued because I think, yes,
you've always got your big ticket items and people are
enjoying prices the way they are at the moment, like
you say, Arable, perhaps a bit sketchy, but on a
whole I think people walked around and I'm just happy
(02:54):
to be out and about in the sunshine on the
Thursday anyway, and just talking to people about positivity in
the sectors.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Definitely clock it wasn't a half on the Thursday, you know,
and but you know, it just definitely got gets a
lot of people off farm and get them out into
the community and you get to catch up and you know,
just like one of the wet hats that I was
wearing with Craig Wigans and lean on the gate. You know,
you get the opportunity to go lean on a gate
a few days and have a chat to everybody and
and you don't find out what that what else is
(03:23):
going on in the world, because to be honest, most
farmers actually don't really recognize what goes on in the
world until they move off arm. So that was great,
and it was good to see everybody out and.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
About Wellington's mower Point wastewater treatment plant failing catastrophically and
the feeds press release that came out recently sending an
estimated seventy million leaders of untreated sir It's train into
the ocean every day. Eric Royd talked about this yesterday, Jason,
and I don't know, you'd like to think there's some
accountability over this.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
It's got to be accountability because if the shoe was
on the other foot and it was an accident from
a farm where we're all working rawle was pumped into
a wood away, I can guarantee you there'll be all
sorts of merror health and the farmer will be held
to account. Right, there's no two ways about it. So
you know, there shouldn't be no different for councils and
for Irvin when this sort of stuff happens, and that
(04:13):
actually happens in the Bicago often as well, you know,
in her own neck of the woods quite often see it.
And you know, I beat home about this cost of
recovery and voicing that farmers get for investigations and so forth.
Is it the same way around for city councils and
so forth. So you know, the sho's got to be
the same on both beat and you know, you can't
(04:34):
pick and choose where you hold accountability and where you don't.
And it just seems a bit wrong in the sense
because it doesn't seem like there's going to be much accountability.
And you've got to take your head off to the
man who resigned this week over it. He obviously didn't
feel like it was heading in the right direction and
that's his way of showing accountability and resigning. So you know,
(04:55):
yet there's definitely needs to be a lot more of that.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
So your press release goes on they say it's great
Wellington Regional Council's role to be the primary regulator when
it comes to wastewater overflows or breaches of waste wastewater consents.
That means it's g w c's job to take enforcement action.
But the councilor is a one six shareholder of Wellingdon Water,
the company responsible for the discharge.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Correct, So who's who's accountable and who's not. You know,
they are launching an inquiry into this, which is good
to hear, but at the end of the day, we're
going to see transparency across the whole thing. I would
I would argue not, I don't see. I don't think
we get a whole lot of transparency out of our
regional councils and get the truth on a lot of sense.
(05:40):
So yep, it's definitely one to watch see where accountability sits.
But currently we don't get a whole lot of accountability
in our local body organizations like regional councils.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
So you guys are fed. Will be pressing the bottom
more or less until you get somebody coming out of
this for a bit of blame.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Absolutely, Like like I said, if it was a farmer
and the shoe was on the other foot, they'll be
crucified all through the media. Accountability taken a court big fines,
you know, so it's got to go on to the
other foot too, So you know, there does have to
be accountability here, no two ways about it. So we
will definitely be speaking up for the farmer's rights on
this and make sure that there is accountability at the
(06:21):
end of the day.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Does this give the idea of three Waters a bit
of credence?
Speaker 2 (06:26):
No, not really, I don't think to be honest. I
mean three Waters is still there in the background, just
with a different name on it and a different label.
At the end of the day, this comes down to
historical infrastructure and lack of money going into it. You know,
we've had too much in the past of like the
haves and making everything beautiful rather than you know, fixing
(06:48):
the infrastructure underground first and foremost, so you know, taking
ratepayers money and not putting it where it needs to go.
I'm not sure whether three Waters would fix it or not,
or whether it would carry down the same tribuctory because
at the end of the day, there's no accountability in
these roles and in these jobs, and until there is,
we're going to keep I think personally seeing much.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Of the same greenpeace as well. God bless and they're
not doing much around the situation Wellington Harbor, but that
poor seven and Raquai has been vandalized over the past
twenty four hours and they put in the blame squarely
on dairy farming.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
Oh they tried it in Gore right, And you know,
we need some locals up there coming out swinging against
Greenpeace because these guys are an organization out of control.
They get to do and think they can do what
they want. At the end of the day, they need
their charitable status removed from them asap straight away because
they're not acting like a charitable company or organization are
(07:45):
They're not very charitable whatsoever. You don't get the right
to storm things and vandalize things and behave the way
they do. So, yeah, the sooner they remove the charitable
status away from Greenpeace.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
The better. We've been talking this quite a while, Jason.
Actually going to see anything developed, well.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
We've definitely got politicians talking about it. There's definitely various
parties talking about the removal of the charitable status. So
walking thing in that drum until such time as that,
you know, we get that across the line.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Good on you, Jason, always appreciate your time.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
You're welcome, thank and you have a good apening.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Jason Herrick of South con Federated Farmers, you're listening to
the Muster and Hakaniui grand Is ast McMaster is up
next with his world famous dog trial results.
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