Farmers and their stock have been caught in a stressful bureaucratic nightmare created by Labour, National’s Agriculture spokesperson Todd McClay says.

“As part of Labour’s regulatory war on agriculture, farmers must have a farm plan for winter grazing – or apply for a resource consent.

“The problem is that after three years and two postponements, the Government still has not finalised rules for farm plans.

“This delay has caught out some farmers who are now receiving legal letters from the regional council to immediately stop winter grazing.

“This is bureaucratic stupidity leaving hard-working farmers caught between central and local government.

“The solution is simple; the Government should hit pause on its winter grazing regulations until it has finalised its farm plan rules. That would avoid the need for consents and stop legal letters going to hard-working farmers.

“National will stop resource consents for winter grazing and scrap winter grazing slope rules in favour of a catchment approach.

“Since 2017, Labour has buried farmers under a mountain of red tape. They have used regulation to declare war on farmers.

“National backs our farmers, which is why our Getting Back to Farming policy includes a commitment to defer central government rules requiring resource consents for winter grazing until freshwater farm plans are in place.

“’Cease and desist’ letters are only the most recent example of the massive bureaucratic load that Labour has imposed on this country’s largest exporters.

“National will boost our economy while protecting our environment. National is proud to back New Zealand’s world-leading farmers.”