Wayne Langford: Five priorities for the next government | EP 91

What do farmers need from the next government? Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford joins us to walk through the organisation's newly released election platform, a five-point plan to double farm productivity, cut costs, improve environmental outcomes, and strengthen rural New Zealand. 

Wayne explains the thinking behind each proposal, the challenges farmers are facing on the ground, and why Feds believes these changes would benefit the wider economy as well as the rural sector.

Links

Media release: 'Federated Farmers launches election priorities'

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:08

Hi everybody.

SPEAKER_01 0:09

We're now only five months out from the next general election, and Federation Farmers has just released its policy priorities for whichever political parties might form the next government. We're calling it Backing Kiwi Farmers, a five-point plan to double farm productivity, cut costs and improve the environment. This isn't just a vague list of polite political asks either. It's a clear, practical roadmap that's been built by farmers, for farmers, and for the good of all Kiwis. To talk us through the plan today, we're joined by Federated Farmers President Wayne Langford. Let's get into it. Hey Wayne, let's start with the political landscape and how things have changed since the last election. How are things different now for farmers than they were three years ago?

SPEAKER_02 0:56

Three years ago, we were at rock bottom, or the or the numbers were saying we're at rock bottom. Farmer confidence was as low as it's ever been. And we had to do something to get ourselves out of it. We presented the Restoring Farmer Confidence platform. And while I wouldn't say that's the be-all and end-all, that got farmers uh back on their feet. Uh, it certainly played a big part. And so uh, yeah, for from rock bottom to where we are now to some of the highest confidence that we've seen in in a couple of decades, uh I'm pretty pleased with where we've got to with that one.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

Fed's election priorities in 2023 were very much about cutting red tape and restoring farmer confidence, as you've mentioned there. What's different about this plan that you're launching today?

SPEAKER_02 1:41

Yeah, I look at it like a um samurai warrior or something with a couple of big swords three years ago, and we were just like slash, slash, get into it, let's go. And uh, and you know, waving waving all out like a Darth Vader with a lifesaver. Uh so whereas this one is is a is a little more detailed and a little more um, hey, hey, we've done all that slashing and cutting. Uh right, let's let's build this ship into something really cool. Uh we've just we've just got the sector back on its feet. Uh now what do we do? What are the little 10%ers here that are going to make the big difference and and really turn around um on farm productivity uh to ultimately reach some of the government's goals around this doubling the value of exports?

SPEAKER_01 2:24

Yeah, so that headline ambition about doubling farm productivity, that's a really big audacious goal. Do you think that's realistic? And if it is over what sort of time frame?

SPEAKER_02 2:35

Yeah, definitely realistic and and uh I guess uh a privilege to be aligned up with the the government's goal of doubling exports. The reason why we went with productivity is because it's really important that if we double exports, uh that we keep some of that money behind the farm gate. If the farmer doesn't get any of those returns or we end up making the same money as we did, you know, 10 years ago, then there's not much point into it. So how do we focus on doubling exports while at the same time uh making sure that the revenue's still there for farmers to operate and uh and not only operate but really throw thrive and get the rural communities cranking again.

SPEAKER_01 3:10

How long do you think it could take to double farm productivity?

SPEAKER_02 3:15

Well, the government's goal was in uh in 10 years, uh they're three years into that. So we've got seven years. So uh I'll I'll say five years to have a crack. Hey, it's a it's a big audacious goal. I know that, right? Uh like and and and I think the government will acknowledge as so there's. Uh, but but sometimes uh when you put a goal out like that and say, hey, what could we reach and how could we get there, it gets you thinking around I guess some of the bigger steps that we've got to take to make the to make the greater gains. If we set a smaller, uh, you know, easily, easily attainable type goal, then oh yeah, we might make a few changes here and there, and and you know, we'll just carry on the way we're going. But let's have a real crack at this and say, hey, if we are making these massive structural reforms at the moment, like we are, uh, with the RMA, with local government and other areas as well, uh, then what do we need to do as part of that to um yeah, to to get the result we need.

SPEAKER_01 4:09

There's also a real focus in this plan on cutting costs. What are the biggest costs today that government policy can actually influence, Wayne?

SPEAKER_02 4:20

I call myself a tight-ass farmer, if I'm allowed to say that uh myself, a guy that focuses uh heavily down on the costs of my own business to get them as low as I can. That's where I put a focus in with my presidential time at Feds. And so I remember going in and seeing uh Paul Melville um uh in the German policy at Feds and saying, Hey, this is my budget. How can we strip the cost out of there for farmers and and uh and get this one going? Literally divided each line of my budget into right, what does this look like? And where can Feds policy team uh implement changes to get results here? And so when you look at the first page of our election platform here, that's why I'm quite excited around uh we'll we've not only said, hey, like let's let's let's uh get a new RMA, we've said actually, here's 10 changes that we can do while we're while we are getting this new RMA to get the ball rolling and to get going. And so these permitted activities are things that farmers can do, we know they can do safely, that we don't have to worry about significant environmental concerns with them, and and we can just get the ball rolling and get it done.

SPEAKER_01 5:22

What's the benefit to the you know average New Zealander uh if if we can cut the costs of uh farming?

SPEAKER_02 5:30

Yeah, well, I mean, what are we hearing at the moment? You know, the most the the the it's the cost of living crisis is is what we're hearing at the moment. Whenever we poll uh both public and and farmers, you know, there is significant sense around the cost of living and where that's going. Uh what can farmers do to help that? Uh, we can bring down the cost of food. Uh and to do that, we need we need to look at how we can remove some of the costs within that, ultimately, where we're going with our election platform here. So I'll give you an example here, Ben. We've got uh I was talking with a farmer during an Auckland meeting just a month ago. He's he's applying for a consent to to renew his water consent. He's already got the water. He just needs to renew his water consent on four and a half hectares of land that he wants to grow his broccoli on uh for uh for farmers, uh, for for sorry, the people here in Auckland. Uh now he's already up to $25,000 uh dollars in consent uh cost. Uh he hasn't got his consent to renew his consent yet. He thinks by the time he gets there, it's probably gonna add about 40 to 50 cents per stalk of broccoli just to get his water consent. That's before he's even started growing the plant and uh and all the other costs that come with it. Like if you don't, it's absolute insanity that we're going to going to this level of scrutiny for something that's already existing, and we've got to look at how we're gonna adjust and evolve the planning framework uh to make it better and and and more productive for the farming sector.

SPEAKER_01 6:53

So you talked about those 10 new permitted activity standards. Just to be clear, what do you mean when you talk about um permitted activity standards? What does that mean?

SPEAKER_02 7:04

Yeah, so a permitted activity is something that that farmers are permitted to do, and they can do. They've still got to do it within the framework of the rules. So um, I can I give you a couple of examples. Um gravel extraction, uh, drain maintenance, effluent management as a couple that we've got there on the list, right? Farmers know how to apply their effluent. They know, and and there can be rules put around uh that application of effluent. They know the storage that they need and this and the structures and what we're doing is pretty, pretty well in place. And I think you would you'll typically find that the the success rate of that across the country, in terms of the um the compliance rate of that across the country, uh is in the high 90s uh in terms of what farmers are achieving there. So what we're saying is, well, why is that then not a permitted activity? You know, like just let farmers do it. They don't need consents, they don't need to be audited significantly on it. Just let them do it and uh and carry on their day and let's focus our efforts, if any, in other areas. Uh of course, of course, and and I know what the the other side will push back and say, oh yeah, but you know, the the what about the farmers that are breaking the rules? You know, yes, there'll always be accidents and there'll always be things that happen, and there'll always be people that need to be checked up on, just as like just like what we see within our cities, right? We've just seen it in in um in in Wellington City, a huge spill there of surge into the harbour. Uh, we we know we've got issues going on down in Christchurch as well. But but as a whole, when you've got a high 90% of your of your farming population and that's doing it right, just let them do it. Let's just let them go and uh and carry on and and uh just as just as an example.

SPEAKER_01 8:41

So there's an element of trust here. Is that what you're saying? That the government should have put a bit more trust in farmers to do the right thing.

SPEAKER_02 8:49

Definitely. We are working on a high trust model, and I'm not I'm not hiding from that. Uh, but hey, we've earned it. We've done the work in the effluent space. We've we've we've uh we've invested the the the money and the technology there to to achieve what we need to achieve. And and we're we've we've earned the right to have that trust back again in that space, and so so let's do it. So it's the same with with some area, uh, the areas around our fertilizer application, the technology now that goes on there around how we do it, when we do it, you know, what we do it with. Um the same with uh uh the likes of um uh gravel extraction and that sort of thing. You know, there doesn't need to be this litigious consent process. Uh we know what we can and can't take out of our rivers. Uh just let us get on and do it. Uh to ultimately avoid a bigger mess getting down the line.

SPEAKER_01 9:33

Another proposal in the plan is to replace the need for resource consents with farm plans. Uh, some people might say that that's reducing oversight. What what what would you reply to that?

SPEAKER_02 9:46

I would say that it is increasing the engagement from farmers in in what they're doing. Uh key bottom line for for farm plans, uh, under federated farmers' view is that a farmer needs to be able to do them themselves. And if they can do that, then we're no doubt going to get better involvement.

SPEAKER_01 10:06

The second big theme in the document is all about enabling technology and infrastructure as a priority. Why is that so important to in terms of um helping lift productivity?

SPEAKER_02 10:18

Yeah, farming has always had technology and uh and it used to be it used to be quite quite simple. We're just you know, AIing our cows was considered high technology. Uh now obviously the the technology world is is moving to a greater space. You know, we've got um over 20, 20 quarter of our dairyhood now wearing wearables, you know, uh obviously virtual fencing and and other technology coming along as well. Uh just uh to I don't want to name drop it that scanner ball that I saw recently where you can weigh a bull using your your cell phone, uh you know, that's pretty awesome tech that's coming uh uh coming at us. And so giving the farmers the ability to use this tech and to use it in a way um that you know that we can that we can progress it and use it as fast as possible is is really important. That's kind of the that that's the flashy tech that you see, uh, and and it gets out there, it gets out there pretty easy. Some of the stuff that you don't see is some of the tech that's involved in like our our chemicals or our or our sprays and that sort of thing, and particularly in the arable sector. Uh you know, we are calling on a review around the FPA and and and what they're doing there. Uh, we we need to speed up the process around getting some of the um the tech that the our arable farmers can use in that space in. And uh and yeah, and and and that's this that's the gist of it. If if we want to if we want our arable farmers to be world leading and and to carry on with with what they're doing, you know, acknowledging how much they're battling at the moment with with their returns on farm, uh, then we've got to look at what we can do to help them to achieve that.

SPEAKER_01 11:48

In terms of infrastructure, Wayne, there seems to r a real focus in this document on water storage. Why is that so important for farmers and and rural communities?

SPEAKER_02 12:00

Yeah, as a farmer that's just had a meter worth of rain in the last 30 days on my phone, I can tell you um when it comes to January or February next year, I'm I'm gonna be really wanting I would have really wanted to have used that in in six months' time. And so water storage is an absolute no-brainer. We have never regretted, I don't think, ever putting in water storage almost anywhere in the country. And we need to speed up the process in which we can allow farmers to do it. There's two levels of water storage here. This is a significant uh water storage project, and I use the example quite close to me again. There's the Wymere Dam over near Nelson that's currently just been built. Uh, but then there's also the smaller on-farm water storage as well. And so, as I mentioned in the permitted activities, uh, yeah, let's free up the ability for farmers to do that smaller scale project on farm, uh, but also uh encourage the government to put more seed funding into getting these larger scale projects uh underway because I I know with the way that inflation goes and everything else, it's never going to be cheaper to build a water storage project now uh compared to what it's gonna be for future generations, and we can leverage off that to build our uh to build our uh agricultural and and horticultural sector, to be fair, uh, around that uh for the for the betterment of the country.

SPEAKER_01 13:14

Solar power is another key focus in this document. Um you've highlighted some real opportunities there, but also some challenges. Can you talk a bit about that?

SPEAKER_02 13:26

I listened to Mike Casey a bit like uh like many of us do, you know, he's a he's a he's a pretty big force in this field. One thing that stood out for me is around uh his comment there, around 40% of Australians using solar compared to 4% here in New Zealand. Uh, I think we do have a a small tsunami of of uh solar coming at us across the ag sector, uh, which I think is really cool. But what we need to do is put a framework around that to ensure that we get the best results. Because if I if I look at Australia, uh right now they're also still complaining about power prices, right? So if we if we're doing this uh in a way to bring down power prices, well, let's do it strategically then, uh so that we can keep our power prices low and and not just put solar in and then 20 years' time we'll be complaining about the price of power again, right? So uh what does that look like? How can we do that? How do we best leverage off the infrastructure that we've got? Uh I mean, from Fed's point of view, and and if members are listening out there, you know, we we definitely don't support this full farm conversion into solar solar panels. That's not what this is about. Uh, what this is about is uh is about smaller solar generation and making it easier to do that. It should be a permitted activity. If you want to put uh you know up to a megawatt on your farm, you should be able to do that. It's a it's a simple structure to do it, um, and it can have a massive benefit not only on your farm, uh, but also to the to the houses around you, uh, which probably leads me, Ben, into our our next point on it, which is hey, if we are going to do this, uh then then yeah, what is the regulatory framework to do it? You know, like if I if I put it on my farm and I want to support Hallocks school, then why am I selling it back to the power company to then have them charge the school full price for that, right? Like what are the rules in place that I can that I can uh sell up to my school at a lot cheaper price? What are the rules in place, even as if I use an example of a farmer I heard recently where he's pumping it back into the grid with his solar, but he's got a pump shed at the back of his farm that's on a different connection, and he's got to pay full price for that pump shed at the back of his farm. Like it's absolute insanity. And so if we want to, if we want to get the uptake of solar uh like I think uh the country wants and and probably the country deserves, uh then let's not subsidize solar. Let's just make sure the regulatory settings are right, uh, that we can do it, that the return on investment just becomes a no-brainer. Uh because it's pretty close to doing that already, uh, but it can be an absolute no-brainer if we get this right.

SPEAKER_01 15:54

Yeah, I mean, that's silly, right? Like a farmer's selling power back to the grid at what? Like, I think if I've got my numbers right, like 10 cents, and then yeah, he has to buy it back to for this pump station at the back of his farm for 30 to 35 cents. It's crazy, right?

SPEAKER_02 16:10

Yeah, well, one of the challenges is here is is around uh is around uh farmers storing that energy. So we know that when we bring batteries into the situation, return on investment doesn't isn't quite as good. If you factor in things like adverse events and uh and farmers' resilience through that, oh well then all of a sudden again, rather than buying a generator, farmers are saying, well, I'd rather have solar and a battery. Uh, but how do we how do we make that return on investment even better and even more uh more of an attraction to farmers to get against? And then again, once we've got that storage on farm, uh we can we can do things, uh pretty amazing things with the power supply all across the country uh for times when we really need it. And with obviously with our reliance on hydro and and the sometimes the options of the lakes spend really low. Uh that's really important.

SPEAKER_01 17:00

One thing that might surprise some people when they look at this election platform is that conservation is one of Federated Farmers' top five election priorities. Why is it there and what exactly are we asking for?

SPEAKER_02 17:14

Farmers are the biggest conservationists in New Zealand. Uh we literally spend our days and our lives out there, uh, not only on farm but uh but in conservation as well. Uh, you know, I've got 90 hectares on my farm, but I've got 30 hectares in in uh bush that that you know that won't be touched and and won't be farmed. Um and I want to make sure that's that's looked after and um and maintained going into the future. But uh there is a couple of key issues in terms of conservation, and it spreads across across the farming field as well. One big one, and uh and and it's something that we need to address uh really quickly, and and I hope that we do, is is around the Kiwi Two Trust, because it is an absolute no-brainer. You know, the Kiwi Two Trust is the fourth, or the land that it covers is the fourth largest national park in New Zealand. Uh and farmers look after that themselves. You know, that doesn't require any maintenance from the government or or anything else. That's that's farmers looking after that themselves. So the fourth national, uh, we're the fourth largest national park, it's been looked after by farmers. That's a that's a pretty awesome story. Uh, we're just simply asking that there's can be a bit more funding put into that program to one, make sure that the maintenance is kept up, and two, allow for a larger area to come in there because I'm pretty sure we'll get to the largest national park in the country uh if if we can get some more funding to allow more farmers to put land into it.

SPEAKER_01 18:31

Yeah, because my understanding is you've got a whole lot of farmers, landowners sitting there wanting to covenant uh special areas of their farm. But because the QE2 National Trust is is underfunded, um, there's a real backlog there. So we could actually get so much more of that land under covenant if if the QE2 Trust was funded adequately, right?

SPEAKER_02 18:52

Yeah, that's that's a key word that you're talking about there, covenant. You know, this isn't just uh, oh, this is an idea I had on Friday. This is a lifetime commitment to um to putting this land away forever uh for for you know for the benefit of nature. So uh so yeah, whatever we can resource uh that um and and hopefully they've put no handbrakes on on farmers being able to achieve it. On on top of that, uh of course, uh we've got other issues around peace numbers, uh, we've got other issues around welding pines. Uh we saw a significant announcement in the budget for wilding pine control. Uh that's for a three-year program, and and uh and we'll be cracking into that to to make sure that's well used. Uh, but we are we are of course in this platform asking for that to be uh uh rolled out over the next 10 years. You know, uh we we're gonna put a dent in welding pines, but we need to make sure we we get rid of these um this massive pest problem that it is with the pines, and uh and that's gonna take a lot longer, 10 years I'd say. So uh so we need to make sure we've got the investment of that.

SPEAKER_01 19:51

Okay, so just to be just to be clear, so the government's committed 109 million to welding pines for the next three years, but Feds is actually saying so we're saying thanks very much, that's fantastic, but we need a 10-year funding commitment. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_02 20:05

Yeah, that is correct, yeah. Yeah, and and and that's and like I say, it's really important because as as as soon as you let these weeds get away on you, uh they really get away. And so we could put three years investment in now, drop off for two years and and and you know, be back in the same place that we started with. We've got to make sure we we really stomp our foot on them. Um another real key area or or uh point that we can work on with that is is opening up some of the side country grazing uh again. Uh you know, we saw over a million hectares uh taken off a farmer's hands there, you know, not being able to use locked up into conservation. And what we have what we've seen is not actually conservation. Uh we've seen a rampant rise in in pest numbers, uh both uh wildlife and and plant activity, with its gorse broom, balding pines, uh, or in animals in terms of pigs, deer, goats, and everything else. And we're saying, hey, what have we what do we gain from this? Let's go back and uh and and see what we're doing. We're not saying, hey, let's give us the whole million hectares back, but we're saying, hey, there's a large proportion of this, probably 80, 90 percent of it, that can go back into farming. Farmers know how to farm it. Like I say, we are the greatest conservationists in New Zealand. Uh, we will look after it. And there is areas, there's that 10 or 15 percent that we say, hey, that that doesn't need to come back to farmers. We recognise the the the uh the value of that in a conservation um uh point of view, from a conservation point of view. And so let's leave that there. But um, if we want to take care of these uh of these pests, uh I'm sure the far farmers would much rather do it than uh than dock um who are already squeezed on their budget.

SPEAKER_01 21:39

We'll move on to local government now. Uh it's fair to say it's not really a topic that gets a lot of people excited, um, but it is important, right? Wise Feds made it one of its top five priorities.

SPEAKER_02 21:52

It is an important topic. Um the rate spills for many farmers uh at the moment are significant, and we know that, and we've got a look at again uh when when i was going through my cash flow budget around how how we can uh how we can look at adjusting that on top of that uh the government's announced the the reform to to to local government uh we've had a quite a bit of input into that uh we'll put a white paper forward with with our suggestions as to as to what that could look like and I think we'll see changes. It it is a real tough one because uh do I ever think we're going to solve the issues of every council across New Zealand uh no uh but but again do I think we can actually get some quite seismic change now uh yes I think we've got some opportunities over the next uh the next year or so to achieve that what do you think that good actually looks like when it comes to local government reform lane what do you want to see happening we have moved into an area with multiple layers of government and for a country as small as New Zealand that that is a little crazy we've got to go back to a to a single single layer of government uh particularly local government we need to have good strong representation and we need to empower those uh those leaders that ultimately they are the councillors there uh to to make decisions and to be the ones that are making the decisions uh to do that uh they they do have to have uh knowledge and awareness of of the areas of that they're working on and so we're not hiding from the fact that we are we are breaking uh metropolitan and provincial areas apart um uh because we're simply saying hey if you want someone that's looking after uh looking after the likes of uh gravel extraction and and rivers uh storm control across farmland uh that sort of thing uh the rural infrastructure that we're dealing with uh then it's good to have rural people that have got a real clear understanding of of what that is uh compared to those that are coming from a more urban centric type uh city design type uh aspect uh that are looking after the issues that that to be fair we don't we don't really put too much focus in when we're out on farm so what are the main sort of problems that we've ended up with in local government under the current system we have I think about 78 councils around the country what are the day-to-day battles that farmers are having duplication of of uh of the work that we're doing the the over uh the overlays of of uh certain rules and regulations and and the yeah I I guess it's just the multiplication of of what we're doing and so uh that's why we are advocating really to go back to to kind of the unitary authorities which uh which I'm kind of of I guess the benefit of is is I'm in one of those when in the Tasman District Council. And and I think that's probably why I put the caveat caveat around this this uh this local government reform is is uh yes we can make some changes. Is it going to be perfect? Absolutely not because I still hate hate my rates bill I get from my council uh but I tell you what when I hear what some other farmers are dealing with in other parts of the country in terms of consents for this and consents for that and and and different authorities not agreeing with each other then that's absolutely nuts. But particularly when you consider the uh the size of the country we're living in and and the number of people we're dealing with.

SPEAKER_01 25:01

And just a note for listeners, I'll put a link in our show notes here uh to that white paper document that Wayne mentioned that's our that's Federated Farmers basically our blueprint for what we think local government should look like and I'll also link to a document that we put together which is uh sort of a local government guide for dummies it's a very simple guide explaining what local council does and and and stepping you through that sort of thing. Wayne another proposal is to remove the requirement for cultural impact assessments and that could you know be pretty controversial. What's the problem with the current system?

SPEAKER_02 25:39

The problem with the system at the moment is is really the broad brush approach that's gone to it um we've got we've got no uh problem at all with with culturally uh sensitive areas and in areas that we need to look after and maintain and uh and that sort of thing but when we see significant areas or almost you know whole catchments being covered and and and deemed as culturally significant uh you know that that that it doesn't work from a farming point of view and I don't think it's trying to achieve the the result uh from local ewe Māori that they're they're looking for either and so uh what we're saying is hey yep we we we realize that there's these culturally significant areas that's cool uh let's let's get them down let's understand where they are what they are and and how we're going to look after them uh and and not require every farmer every time he needs to do something uh to get a cultural impact report uh because again uh that is just putting on another layer of bureaucracy that's that's really uh not needed and we can if if we uh if we do this uh well and practically uh to start with uh then we shouldn't need that layer of bureaucracy going forward so there's also in this document a proposal to remove council's ability to enter joint decision making arrangements with unelected groups what's that all about it's pretty simple really uh the ones um making the decision to spend the money should be the ones that were elected uh there and put there by their communities that's how the democracy works and and that's what it should be is there a problem with uh um advisors coming in and helping to advise those decisions absolutely not and remembering that uh we do that from a from a real point of view as well so this is not a not an ewe issue this is not the uh not just an e we issue sorry it's a rural issue as well uh we want to make sure that there's still a real voice around the table uh and that that we're understanding uh you know what what the background for for these decisions are but ultimately when push comes to shove and the decision is made it needs to be those councillors sitting around the table uh that put up their hands yay or nay and vote on it uh come the time because that's that's how democracy works and that's how we uh that's how we work um when when we go into elections every three years yeah okay so we don't have any problem with these various committees comprised of uh e we representatives or farming representatives or whatever bringing different perspectives and expertise but their role should be sort of to offer advice or recommendations but and and then step away and let the councils the councillors um make the decisions right is that correct yeah that's right and and we and we've got to acknowledge the amount of decisions uh and the length of meetings that these councillors have got to go through so that's why we we they can't sit on every committee and do everything I I fully understand that but what we're saying is that when it comes to the decision the decision needs to be made by those councillors that's how good governance works uh that's how democracy works and so um that's what we should be working towards just to to wrap this up which political party or parties is this plan aimed at the I mean the best thing about this platform and it was the same as the last platform it it doesn't matter whether we're blue red pink green uh yellow black whatever whatever the colours are out there of the political parties uh this is one that every political party can can pick up and say hey if we want to improve agriculture over the next three years uh while we're in government uh then this is what we're gonna do and uh and it's great that the farmers have have put this forward and so uh uh you know there's there's a lot of work that's gone in uh behind this document uh working with our provinces uh ultimately up to our national councils through uh through our national board and and through our uh national council meetings to to get to a point and then our fantastic uh policy staff our comms team Ben and uh and everyone else that pulled this all together and turned it into a a really succinct message uh to say hey if if we're gonna move agriculture forward then this is what we're gonna do. You know previously in the past we had a document I think that was about 5000 words and and that you know very few people flicked through or could understand uh we've we've got this down uh to to very a few thousand I think and and in a very easy way for people to understand which is uh fantastic it includes uh data and questions that we've asked not only of public but of farmers uh to to back up some of our points and I think the other cool thing about it too Ben is is it it includes a number of stakeholders in here as well. You brought up the Kiwi2 Trust in there you know this is not about just uh Feds shouldering the load here or what Feds want. This is this is um the the Kiwi2 Trust um in here as what is one I think of um rewiring R2RO with uh with some of the solar work that we've done there. I know we've we've worked across the education sector with some of what we've talked about with uh with education and schools and that sort of thing as well so you know this uh there's there's a lot of work gone in there a lot of consultation it's the rural sector really coming together as a platform to to put this together. And lastly Wayne what happens if the politicians sort of take this document nodely and then ignore it after the election how will federated farmers deal with that's a great question but it's not something that we're expecting uh we we've put a lot of time into building our relationships and building the trust that we're gonna achieve uh what we've set out in in this document and and that's that's what it's all about we are you know uh a trusted voice in farming and uh and we uh tr uh ultimately trusted on the results that we're gonna get as well and and that is that is the new world of of political advocacy and and what we're doing and so uh whether it's like I say whichever government it is that we're working with um they can trust that if they implement some of the changes that we've talked about in this document uh that they're gonna get good results for farming.

SPEAKER_01 31:42

Hey so we're recording this Monday morning and then you're in uh the Waikato I imagine for field days Wednesday Thursday um what sort of conversations are you expecting to be having in the Rural Advocacy Hub? Is it all going to be around this document?

SPEAKER_02 31:55

I've got a feeling it will be a hot document. Yeah yeah and so um uh if if I remember back to our last election platform I think we brought it out three months before the election we've given this one what is it four or five months I think it is going to be uh literally we we walk the halls of parliament we we put this thing everywhere and anywhere uh that it can be read and we we really work it um to to get the results for farmers so this is the first week of many uh that we'll be pushing the document but it's uh good that we've got everyone in together and and like you say in the advocacy hub to really hear about it and to talk over the issues. Uh it'd be a good place if any farmers are stopping by to come in and have a listen.

SPEAKER_00 32:35

Excellent thanks Wayne yeah chief Ben great to be here again thanks for tuning in to today's episode if you've enjoyed it and you'd like to hear more subscribe to the Federated Farmers Podcast on Spotify, Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts so that you get notified when our new episodes drop and if you have any feedback or podcast suggestions we'd love to hear from you. Please drop us a line at podcast at fedfarm dot org.nz that's podcast at fedfarm dot org.nz