Selwyn Times: July 14, 2021

Wednesday July 14 2021 Selwyn Times
• By Susan Sandys
FARMERS AND supporters
throughout the district will be
taking to the streets to protest
against what they say is a deluge
of new regulations and costs
from central government.
David Marshall
at Leeston
and Derek Bull
of Sheffield
are organising
the Howl of a
Protest events at
noon on Friday
in Leeston and
Darfield respectively.
They are among farmers
around New Zealand rounding
up dog teams and firing up utes
and tractors to head into their
nearest town for peaceful protest
rallies.
Marshall said the clean car
discount scheme to be introduced
next year was the “straw
that broke the camel’s back.” Ute
buyers would have to pay the
new tax when the electric vehicle
technology was not yet there
to offer a viable alternative.
He said he had been blown
away by the support for the
protest, and he would not be
surprised if hundreds turned
out.
“The level of phone calls, and
interest in it, has been really
amazing,” Marshall said.
Bull urged protesters to take
along their dogs and meet on
the entrance to Darfield, from
which point they would march
into town, “with signs and dogs
howling.”
Federated Farmers President
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Farmers to protest: Tax on utes the
‘straw that broke the camel’s back’
David
Marshall
Andrew Hoggard said he was
not surprised that anger about
regulations and costs from
central government was spilling
over into protest meetings.
Hoggard said farmers and
ratepayers were already facing
huge uncertainty and cost with
the impact of “bungled and
impractical essential freshwaters
regulations.”
And now the Government has
ANGER:
Farmers are
invited to
take their
dogs for a
Howl of a
Protest at
Leeston and
Darfield on
Friday.
thrown in phase one of the Resource
Management Act reform,
with the same flawed “one size
fits all approach.”
There was also upheaval
around the National Policy
Statement Indigenous
Biodiversity and Significant
Natural Areas, and a push
for a climate change pricing
mechanism for livestock
emissions.
NEWS 3
In Brief
CONSULTATION RESPONSE
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport
Agency has had a “fantastic”
response as it continues
consultation on their views about
speed limits on the highway
between Christchurch and Akaroa.
Between 2011 and 2020, 75 people
were killed or suffered serious
injuries in crashes on this road.
A spokesperson said there had
been more than 100 emails, as well
as constructive comments and
conversations on the interactive
map on its website. It had also held
pop-up events, where locals had
taken up our invitation to come
along, ask questions and make a
submission. The public engagement
period runs to July 27.
EVENTS GUIDE
The district council’s new
programmes and events guide
details is out now, featuring a
diverse range of activities being
held around the district for
next term. New will be a variety
of workshops with a focus on
sustainability, family fun days
and a chance to celebrate Māori
Language Week, Te Wiki o Te Reo
Māori. There will be music and
kids events, workshops and fitness
classes, the usual weekly libraries’
programmes, alongside adult
sign language classes, Rekindle
activities and family bingo
nights. The annual CultureFest
celebrations return in September.
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