tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11906042.post4538249528991932452..comments2024-03-30T00:09:27.602+13:00Comments on Not PC: Dirty dairying and dodgy draftingPeter Cresswellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10699845031503699181noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11906042.post-8899566146355809082012-07-12T02:43:54.350+12:002012-07-12T02:43:54.350+12:00Great post PC, and good comments Greg B.Great post PC, and good comments Greg B.Sturminatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06456302220942748782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11906042.post-54696029644426839732008-02-13T06:41:00.000+13:002008-02-13T06:41:00.000+13:00excellent analysis. now edit it down to no more t...excellent analysis. now edit it down to no more than 6 bullet points and send both off to the newspapers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11906042.post-50464664705652582272008-02-11T19:14:00.000+13:002008-02-11T19:14:00.000+13:00Firstly, those romantic rural idyll TV shows like ...Firstly, those romantic rural idyll TV shows like "Jamie's Farm" in particular and "River Cottage" give a distorted view of farming. <BR/>They give the impression that a "living" can be made off small areas of non-intensive farm land. <BR/>The inference could be that if Jamie Docherty and his pigs can be profitable then anyone with 20+acres is Mr.Darcy. <BR/><BR/>Further skewing the field are the plague of "lifestyle" mags that would have you believe you can potter around your beehives, lavender garden, veges, worms, and llamas without sweating the $800k you spent on 1.5 acres.<BR/><BR/>It's important to appreciate that even though we excel at agriculture, farming is still a marginal business giving return on assets of 0.5-2%.<BR/><BR/>Of the various agricultural endeavours, dairy is currently the only type that can get close to servicing a mortgage <I>from farming operations alone. </I><BR/><BR/>Farming is peasant's work with just enough economic activity to keep provincial service towns and all the attendant businesses ticking over. Arguably farming is something to do while waiting for enough capital appreciation to sell out.<BR/>Look around a sale-day if you ever have the chance and note how few young farmers there are, indeed it's notable that none of the contestants in 07 Young Farmer of the Year owned a farm. <BR/>========<BR/>The heart of the matter that 2013, the deadline for inclusion of farming to Kyoto, is only five years away.<BR/><BR/>If Labour or Greens require submission of resource consents to farm, to accumulate carbon by cutting hay or require the purchase of credits then marginal farming (i.e. most) will become untenable.<BR/><BR/>Then what? We can't all become real-estate agents, teachers, import sales-reps, or baristas can we? <BR/>Somebody has to produce something desirable to wangle us back into the top of OECD and further burdening farming won't help.<BR/><BR/>By the way, what happened to the "knowledge wave"?Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10765006817084523046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11906042.post-34111210444809961362008-02-11T13:09:00.000+13:002008-02-11T13:09:00.000+13:00There's a bit much there to take in all at once.. ...There's a bit much there to take in all at once.. but a couple of comments.<BR/><BR/>When the RMA was first developed the overriding principle was to be based on consequences. That is, you could do what you liked with your stretch of the river provided you didn't adversely affect your neighbours downstream.<BR/><BR/>However, we immediately saw the way the Act would be run in the Central North Island. One large council increased it's number of planners from under 5.. to over 20.<BR/><BR/>My second comment relates to the consent process for building an enormous sawmill in the US. Long story short, the process cost NZ$900 and was approved in 10 working days.<BR/><BR/>What happens is that when you decide to build something like that you go to a state office and pick up an easily readable book on the requirements of the state. You then simply incorporate these requirements into your general planning process.<BR/><BR/>Once you seek formal approval of your plans, the state has ten working days to approve.. by state law. Objectors have to pay a hefty sum to lodge an objection, if they stall the process and their objection is lost, they most pay for every day of expected profit from the mill that was lost due to their failed objection.<BR/><BR/>There are some good principles involved here..<BR/><BR/>1. Business and productivity matter, and the rules reflect that.<BR/><BR/>2. The environment matters, and you can put down in a book the things that must be done to protect the environment. You don't need to make policy on the hoof as each application comes in.<BR/><BR/>3. Objectors have a place, but they are not exempt from the consequences of their actions.<BR/><BR/>4. The state, the legislators and the planners have clearly defined responsibilities and timelines to meet as well. They can't form an "investigatory committee" or pursue some activist policy.. and they can't guess as to consequences.. they have to put their plans, responsibilities and knowledge of the environment in a book, and stick to it.<BR/><BR/>JCAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com