Robyn Edie/Stuff
Bryce McKenzie, left, and Laurie Paterson are the men behind the Groundswell NZ organisation pushing back against government rules affecting farmers. (File photo)
Climate Change Minister James Shaw says there are no plans to scrap the He Waka Eke Noa agricultural emissions scheme, after Groundswell NZ claimed that the Government was ready to pull the pin on it.
Groundswell NZ emissions spokesperson Steve Cranston issued a press release on Saturday saying the group understood Shaw ‘’has finally conceded the He Waka Eke Noa agricultural emissions scheme is terminally flawed and will scrap it”.
“Industry leaders, Maori and the Government have been collaborating on HWEN for the past two years but all that time and expense has come to nought,’’ Cranston said.
“Government and industry leaders have been quietly looking at alternative emission pricing options to the HWEN scheme for the past few months and now appear ready to pull the pin on HWEN.”
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On Sunday, Shaw told Stuff “the He Waka Eke Noa proposal has not been scrapped, and the Government is committed to working with the agricultural and horticultural sector to put in place a fair, effective system to reduce emissions.’’
”The He Waka Eke Noa proposal, alongside advice from the Climate Change Commission and officials, is currently being analysed and evaluated. The process for this has not changed. That analysis will form the basis of Cabinet decisions on final options, due later this year, which will be subject to public consultation,’’ he said.
ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff
Greens Climate Change Minister James Shaw has denied Groundswell NZ’s claims that He Waka Eke Noa, a Government framework to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, is being scrapped.
Cranston has been contacted for comment.
Groundswell NZ leader Bryce McKenzie said the group stood by its source of the claims.
”I believe our sources, they have never let us down before, but if they got it wrong then we’ll be first to put our hand up. But until we see what comes out of the final decisions, well we don’t know do we,’’ he said.
He Waka Eke Noa is a partnership with industry, Māori and Government to implement a framework by 2025 to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and build the agriculture sector’s resilience to climate change.
ROBYN EDIE/STUFF
Bryce McKenzie and Laurie Paterson talk about the reasons Groundswell NZ was set up.
In July 2021 Shaw admitted a reference he made to ‘’a group of pākehā farmers down south’’ when he was speaking to radio station Ngati Hine FM was Groundswell NZ. At the same time, he also said the group was spreading misinformation about the National Policy Statement for National Biodiversity.
In December, Shaw said he would travel to Southland to meet with Groundswell NZ leaders, but a date is yet to be set.
Groundswell NZ was set up by McKenzie and Paterson to seek a halt to, and rewrite of, unworkable regulations which it said unfairly impacts farmers and rural communities.
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