Rabobank New Zealand believes the Government’s proposed freshwater reforms will have significant implications for New Zealand’s food and agribusiness sectors, with a likely impact on production costs, operational complexity and future land-use development opportunities. Rabobank’s submission to the Ministry for the Environment on the proposals, reports that they are unnecessarily harsh and would have a detrimental impact on the rural sector, which is already facing pressures from regulatory change. They have stated that they support the Government’s goal of improving the quality of New Zealand’s freshwater and reducing pollution entering waterways from cities and farm however believe that the current proposed reforms could be damaging to the rural sector. Rabobank describes the proposals as both complex and demanding, with the consultation timeframe being extremely tight during a busy time in the farming calendar.

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