North Canterbury News: July 22, 2021
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NEWS<br />
2 The <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>July</strong> <strong>22</strong>, <strong>2021</strong><br />
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Massive turnout in Nth Canty<br />
From Page 1<br />
Mr McFadden says the Governmentneeds<br />
to go back to the drawingboard over the<br />
RMA, and find out ‘‘whatisworking on the<br />
ground, and what isn’t’’.<br />
Meanwhile he is keen to establish a<br />
Groundswell movementin<strong>Canterbury</strong><br />
with coordinatorscovering thekey<br />
geographical areas.<br />
Convoys of tractors rolled into Kaikoura,<br />
Cheviot, Culverden,Amberley and<br />
Rangiora last Friday, alongwith utes,<br />
vans,trucks, contracting equipment and<br />
dogs,gridlocking towns duetothe sheer<br />
volume of vehicles.They stoodshouldertoshoulder<br />
with their urban cousins,<br />
whiletrafficheld up by the convoys tooted,<br />
drivers wavedand people lining the<br />
streets yelledsupport. Even preschoolers<br />
and retired folkstood in support.<br />
In Rangioraabout 350 tractors and utes<br />
rolled through the central business district<br />
(CBD)causingtraffic jams in HighStand<br />
Ashley St and attractinggroupsof<br />
onlookers four and five deep in places.<br />
About1000 protesters, many with their<br />
farm dogs,headed to the front lawn<br />
outside the Waimakariri District Council<br />
service centre for speeches by farmer,<br />
Dave Winter, of Clarkville,and<br />
Waimakariri District Deputy Mayor<br />
Neville Atkinson.<br />
An organiser of Rangiora’s protest, Craig<br />
McAllister,ofCust, said the size of the<br />
protest and the support the organisers had<br />
received wasoverwhelming.<br />
‘‘We didn’t know whattoexpect, but it<br />
showsthe concern everyone has. We have<br />
made alot of changes but we keepgetting<br />
bombarded with more,’’hesaid.<br />
‘‘A littlerecognition for what we have<br />
done would go along way.’’<br />
Mr Winter, when asked to MC Rangiora's<br />
Howl of aProtestsaid he was surehewas<br />
‘‘thesacrificial lamb’’ ratherthan ‘‘the<br />
chosen one’',but was happy to speak at the<br />
protest.<br />
‘‘It is our futureweare trying to secure,’’<br />
he said.<br />
From theback of aute Mr Winter<br />
queried why everyone,young and old, was<br />
there. ‘‘Becausewehave all had agutsful,’’<br />
he said.<br />
He ended his speech withastatement<br />
from Groundswell NZ outlining the<br />
concernsabout ‘‘the unworkable<br />
environmental policies’’ the protest was<br />
focused on and ‘‘the workable solutions’’<br />
Groundswell NZ was keen to promote.<br />
The protest hadbeen organised in ‘‘a<br />
spirit of cooperation, nonconfrontation<br />
and no intentional disruption,’’ he said.<br />
‘‘We encourage people attending the<br />
Howl to support localbusinessesand<br />
engage with peopleinapositive way.’’<br />
Mr Atkinsontold the protestershehad<br />
not seensomany farmers in town on a<br />
Friday before and the council supported<br />
what theywere doing.<br />
‘‘This is your day.Weare with you and<br />
we willhelp you where we can,’’ he said.<br />
Earlier in the day, asmaller groupof<br />
The Widest Music Variety<br />
Tight fit ... Atractor makes its way along High Street, in Rangiora’s central business<br />
district, during the Howl of aProtest last Friday.<br />
PHOTO: SHELLEY TOPP<br />
protesters met at the Rangiora A&P<br />
Showgrounds where retired veterinarian<br />
Dave Martin, of Ashley, andMatt Kerr, a<br />
lifestyle blockowner and helicopter pilot<br />
of Swannanoa, saidthey joined the protest<br />
becausethey were ‘‘brassedoff’’with all<br />
the regulations which were‘`punitive and<br />
impractical’’.<br />
They wanted to see more consultation.<br />
‘‘Farmers need morevoice and the<br />
Government needstolisten.’’<br />
In Amberley hundredsoftractors, utes,<br />
along withtrucks, contracting equipment,<br />
and people and theirdogs turnedout.<br />
Jessie Moffatt, aged 15, astudent whose<br />
parentsfarm at Okuku, spoke,reminding<br />
the huge crowd thatfood did not come<br />
from thebackroom of the supermarket.<br />
‘‘It starts in the paddocks.Itstarts on the<br />
farm withthe farmers producing aproduct<br />
they can be proud of.Noone in the world<br />
cares morefor theirproperty, produce,<br />
animalsand environmentthan farmers,’’<br />
she said.<br />
‘‘The governmentgoes on about how we<br />
need to start planting moretrees, yet want<br />
us to fence off our waterways with wooden<br />
posts. See the issuethere?’’<br />
The costofputting up fences was going<br />
to be hundredsand thousands, money<br />
farmerswould have to find from ‘‘our own<br />
hardearnedmoney less all the taxes’’.<br />
‘‘By putting up thesefencesthe<br />
governmentthinks that they are savingthe<br />
environment, but really it is goingtocause<br />
awhole load of even worse issuessuch as<br />
flooding, pest infestation,deforestation,’’<br />
Jessie said.<br />
Farming was alifestyle,requiring long<br />
hours. It was the country’s largest industry<br />
and New Zealandwas built on agriculture.<br />
‘‘I am appalled to witnessthis<br />
governmentslam farmers for climate<br />
change issues withunrealistic taxes and<br />
unworkable working and environmental<br />
regulations.<br />
‘‘I,along withGroundswell NZ, and all<br />
farmers,have the right to stand up for our<br />
way of life to stopthe government’s<br />
unrealisticideals.’’<br />
‘‘We worksodamn hard and what do we<br />
get in return? Yet another tax and yet<br />
more unrealistic laws,’’ Jessie said.<br />
Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey, who<br />
joined the Rangioraprotest, says the<br />
Government’s environmental regulations<br />
were the latest kick in the teeth for the<br />
ruralsector.<br />
‘‘I was proud to standwith our local<br />
farmers today —they are an integral part<br />
of our community’’ he said.<br />
‘‘Itwas greattosee so many residents<br />
out in supportofthem too. It is clear this<br />
is an important issue and peopleacross<br />
the board are justifiablyangry about.”<br />
Mr Doocey, the National Party’s first<br />
mental health spokesperson, says the<br />
farming community had beenhit time and<br />
again, and worked hard to adjust to<br />
constantly changing rulesand regulations.<br />
The impacts on theirwellbeing fromthe<br />
uncertainty and stress was documented,<br />
and more change wouldinevitably create<br />
even more anxiety.<br />
Continued Page 17 -photos<br />
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