Federated Farmers Waikato president Keith Holmes
It is no longer practical for members to bring every issue to Federated Farmers Waikato.
“We have so many things we have to deal with,” Holmes told the September meeting of the provincial executive.
“The act of bringing it all through the chair is really not practical anymore. We have to think differently.”
In this monthly report he said because the workload was so large, he had expanded portfolios.
“Within the sectors we also have to give more autonomy for the actions and outcomes from the working groups.”
By way of example, Hamilton branch chair John Bluett had sent a submission to the Government on the future of agricultural education post Te Pukenga.
“The consultation was with those of us who have an interest in the subject,” he said. “I was very impressed with the submission, especially given the short time we had.”
Holmes asked members to become nimbler and more responsive, attaching members to interest groups.
“Democratic decision making comes in many forms – but it should never revert to the ‘sludge’ of local body consultation, with no decisions ever being made,” he said.
Holmes described the advocacy Waikato Federated Farmers was involved in as selfless, demanding and relentless, in terms of workload.
“The wins are there to be seen and coming fast,” he said, listing a pause on the fresh water farm plans, re-opening the doors for livestock exports, reviewing the carbon and ethane solutions, opening to the opportunity of the use of gene editing technology and de-clogging the barriers to opportunity, innovation and consent procedures.
“Significantly the rebuilding of the Resource Management Act version 3, is also giving back to farmers their lost ‘property rights’, taking back the invasive overreach of the concept of Significant Natural Areas and posing the question of who should pay for ‘the Society Wish List’ as we know as farmers we simply can’t and shouldn’t be seen as society’s Golden Goose or cash cow.”
Holmes empowered section and branch chairs to engage in member advocacy.
“I have had a discussion with Dairy vice chair Louise Gibson about what sharemilkers are doing,” he said.
The Sharefarming Consultants founder Gibson, a former Federated Farmers policy advisor, is focussed on ensuring contracts between farm owners and sharefarmers don’t have any fishhooks
“We trust Waitomo branch chair Chris Irons,” Holmes said. “It’s the same with, and Arable chair Donald Stobiet.”
“We have to be careful we don’t rely too much on individuals,” Irons said. “We have to be nimble and pull people in.”
