Federated Farmers is calling on the Government to “immediately and categorically” rule out any form of water tax in its proposed Resource Management Act (RMA) replacement Bill.
In December, the Government released two major pieces of legislation, the Planning and the Natural Environment Bills, to replace the RMA.
Federated Farmers policy staff spent the summer break trawling through 744 pages of complex legislation and have serious concerns about what they’ve uncovered.
“It’s incredibly alarming to find clauses that give Ministers sweeping powers to tax water as a tool for managing demand,” said Federated Farmers RMA reform spokesperson, Mark Hooper.
“Based on every conversation we’ve had with the coalition Government, we don’t believe it was ever their intent to impose a water tax on farmers.
“There’s absolutely no way we’re going to support any laws that open the door to taxing water.”
Mr Hooper says a water tax would be “a nightmare” for farmers and growers by undermining confidence in the nation’s productive sectors and putting the brakes on economic growth.
“The Government needs to move quickly and strike out any wording that would allow water rights to be auctioned, tendered, levied or taxed,” he said.
“Federated Farmers strongly supports the objectives of the Government’s RMA reforms: growing productivity and making it easier to get things done.
“We are in total alignment that there needs to be a stronger focus on property rights, a tighter scope, fewer resource consents, and far less expensive litigation.
“The Government’s messaging has been bang-on but, unfortunately, we don’t think the legislation as currently drafted matches the political rhetoric.”
