Minister Hoggard Voices Support for Catchment Groups at Puketoi Woolshed Visit
A commitment to grassroots funding and flexible solutions.
Government Minister Andrew Hoggard says he is personally committed to the future funding of catchment groups, ensuring they are able to keep the lights on.
Speaking to a group of Puketoi to the Pacific Catchment Collective farmer members at Mike and Nicole Read’s woolshed this morning, Mr Hoggard said he would like to see a clear, simple funding system for catchment groups.
Mr Hoggard is the current Minister for Biosecurity and Food Safety and the Associate Minister of Agriculture (Animal Welfare, Skills) and for the Environment.
Key takeaway messages:
Expect to see a document on Freshwater out for consultation in the next month and a half. “We’re trying to get away from a one size fits all approach and be more about localism – what are the local issues? We want to take into account local situations and provide flexibility…I believe the way forward is having farmers with their farm plans, their actions and identifying critical source areas on farm and tying it in with catchment care groups to look at mitigations at a catchment level.”
Biodiversity credits are on his radar with the intent for the Government to create a marketplace so trading can occur. Mr Hoggard hopes a scheme can be up and running next year. “It’s about recognising the carbon amount and the value of the biodiversity. I think a lot of big companies are feeling the pressure with carbon credits being seen as ‘greenwashing’, it’s an accounting solution, not a real solution.
“Is there truly a market, are there willing buyers? I have no doubt that there are willing sellers.”
Mr Hoggard discussed the opportunity for biodiversity credits to help balance the benefits of planting natives, which are price prohibitive when compared to pines trees. When biodiversity is combined with carbon income, this extra supply could also take some heat out of the carbon market and provide added return to incentivise the planting of natives.
Soil carbon – is it an opportunity for us? By global standards, New Zealand is already “fairly high” so the scope is limited. Mr Hoggard suggested it would be wise to invest money into updating our ‘inventory’, essentially our accounting balance sheet showing the amount of carbon being sequestered in this country, backed by science.
Funding of catchment groups. Mr Hoggard said he was personally committed to continuing to fund catchment groups. “We are busy working on ensuring there is funding so nothing falls over. We are wanting to ensure catchment care groups continue getting funds. It’s about keeping everything alive for the next year and then we need to redesign the funding mechanism.”
Mr Hoggard’s personal belief is that there needs to be certainty that funding reaches groups at grass roots level, rather than being spent on consultants, and favours a clear, simple funding model for co-ordinators and testing. He suggested a possible secondary fund for bigger ‘project’ work. “This is in my head. I stress that this is not Government policy.”
Even the local wildlife was intrigued to see a government minister in this neck of the woods, with a curious deer seen watching proceedings from the woolshed window…perhaps it will report back to its friends that pest control is also on the agenda for the Collective?
