Federated Farmers Golden Bay, June 2023

ANN STUART

It’s Federated Farmers’ AGM season, and like all the other 23 provinces across New Zealand, Golden Bay recently held its own. These provincial AGMs are held before the national AGM, which is being held in early July.

Golden Bay’s AGM was held in Pakawau Hall.  This hall is a Memorial Hall, and consequently well-funded by the Government’s Provincial Growth Fund, and for the evening meeting it looked terrific, was nice and warm, the company good and the food delicious.

Provincial President Cherrie Chubb added to her written report, talking about the recent submission she made on behalf of Federated Farmers Golden Bay members (and by default, all other farmers) to the Tasman District Council on its 2023/24 Annual Plan.  As usual, the main contentious point was the rates, with the Annual Plan proposing an increase in the average rates by 9.06%.  This is a 5.02% increase on what had been proposed in the Long Term Plan set just two years ago (an increase of 4.04% was proposed) and signals a rate increase by over 13.2% for farmers.  While it is acknowledged that external factors (inflation, government reforms) are driving uncertainty within the Council, this 9.06% rise is not prudent or sustainable in the present economic climate.

She made sure the Councillors and senior staff all heard that farmers are not an infinite source of revenue for Council rate increases.

Supporting this push-back are the economic forecasts from both Beef & Lamb NZ and Fonterra.  Beef & Lamb recently announced farm profit before tax for sheep and beef farmers is expected to fall by a third in 2023 following reduction in exports, while Fonterra has recently announced a further fall in the farmgate price/kg of milk solids, which have continued to decline over the last 12 months. These factors point to harder times ahead for the entire community in Tasman District.

Incomes of rural ratepayers will in no way increase to the same extent as the proposed increases in rates, with the implication that the costs the Council is imposing on its ratepayers, will squeeze out other areas of expenditure.  Farmers’ ability to pay rates is tied to their ability to productively farm the land, and not to the fact that farm land is more expensive than residential properties. Requiring money to go into paying higher rates than expected will lead to cost cutting in other areas which will affect spending in the local economy.

The Federation’s submission urged the Council to sharpen its pencils with the aim of avoiding rates increases and to keep the rates capped at the existing or even reduced level.

Pax Leetch, Golden Bay’s Meat & Wool Chairperson, acknowledged how tough farming has been for the sheep and beef sector this season, and reminded us all to think of the positives that come with living life on the land.

Golden Bay’s Federated Farmers Dairy Chairperson, Tyler Langford, spoke of the nationwide conversations about adding value to those calves that will not be kept on farm as replacements in the dairy herd.

Wayne Langford also spoke.  He has now stepped up nationally into the role of Acting President of Federated Farmers and so has stepped off our local Executive.  He spoke of the recent governance review carried out by Federated Farmers nationally.

Richard McIntyre, who is the national Federated Farmers Dairy Chairperson and a guest at the AGM, addressed the meeting. Richard has come up through the Sharemilkers’ Section and, to get some balance into the Fish & Game Council, successfully stood as a member of that Council.  His tactic there was to sit as a farmer (as well as a keen hunter and fisherman) around the table, working to get the common values of looking after the land and the fisheries above the parapet and out in the open.

Gavin Forrest, retiring from Federated Farmers after some years as the General Manager of the Policy Team, gave some highlights from his interesting career.  As he pointed out, success for Federated Farmers is marked by ‘radio silence’. When an issue is contentious, everyone is shouting about it.  When it’s been solved the phones go quiet and everyone forgets the issue. Getting the solutions into the ‘Goldilocks’ zone (not too bad, not too good, for all sides) is key.

And yes, there was an election, which returned all the incumbents.
For Federated Farmers’ Golden Bay
President: Cherrie Chubb
Meat & Wool Chairperson: Pax Leetch
Dairy Chairperson: Tyler Langford
Financial Officer and Secretary: Daphne Woods
Executive Members: Sue Brown, Ann Thompson
Minute Taker: Maree Edwards