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It is extraordinary to see Federated Farmers objecting to a research levy of $8.4 million a year when taxpayers provide at least $40 million a year for research benefiting farmers.
This includes research on animal health and welfare; new products, processes and technologies; quality, safety and market access; sustainable systems and communities.
In objecting to a modest levy for additional research into their industry's own greenhouse gas emissions, farmers have suggested that they alone will be taxed to research this environmental problem.
The truth is that taxpayers have been paying for research benefiting farmers for years and will continue to do so.
A recent independent assessment of climate change research funding reports that:
- the total investment in climate change research from 1999-2001 was $23.5 million a year;
- 90 percent of this funding came from Government;
- Government funding for agricultural greenhouse gas research has increased more than five-fold since 1999.
Taxpayer funding of agricultural greenhouse gas research is almost $5 million a year and will continue at that level. At this stage the agriculture sector is contributing $800,000 to research in this area, through the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium.
The levy will raise $8.4 million a year, equivalent to 9c a sheep, 54c for each beef animal and 72c a dairy cow - about $300 a year for the average livestock farm. A true emissions tax on agriculture would cost the sector up to about $1 billion a year.
The case for the agricultural sector to fund extra research is very strong on the grounds that the sector is responsible for more than half New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions, yet it is being exempted from the emissions charge that will apply to other industries.
It is overwhelming when you add the fact that this research, if successful, is likely to increase animal productivity and therefore farmers' incomes.
Agriculture is more dependent on a favourable climate than any other industry and thrives in this country because the climate is good for it. Therefore farmers should be more anxious than any other business sector to see action on climate change to protect their long-term interests.
The Government has recognised the importance of agriculture to the New Zealand economy by exempting it from emissions charges until at least 2012. The taxpayer will cover the cost that excess agricultural emissions over 1990 levels incur under the Kyoto Protocol.
The pastoral agriculture sector is being exempted from emissions charges on the basis that there are no measures currently to stop ruminant animals belching methane and nitrous oxide. However, this is on the proviso that the industry will fund sufficient research into ways to reduce those emissions.
Farmers can still have a say on the best way of funding, collecting, and administering the agricultural research levy, as no decisions have been made yet on those issues.
Submissions are being accepted till the end of this month and the discussion document is available here.
Anyone interested can view the website at www.climatechange.govt.nz.
All of New Zealand's 2700-plus school principals who wanted a laptop should by now have received one. The project has been completed a year and a half earlier than originally planned, which is fantastic news for schools.
The laptop project was set up under a 2001 Budget initiative and was initially to be implemented over a four-year period. However with the co-operation and support of the laptop suppliers Apple and Toshiba, high quality machines have been able to be supplied at a reasonable cost. This has enabled the project to be implemented over 2½ years.
Laptops are an extremely useful tool for principals who as school managers are required to carry out a number of administrative tasks.
School principals are also using their laptops to access information they need relating to school property, staffing, curriculum, regulations and entitlements through another project called Leadspace.
This is a web-based portal introduced by the Ministry of Education to enable principals to have easy access to all the information they need to effectively manage their school.
The Government recognises that well-informed and effective leadership of schools is critical to the success of students, and the laptop programme has helped contribute to this.
Government ministers have issued a fresh plea for people affected by housing buy-back schemes to come forward with information.
When the Government stepped in on 20 June 2003 to place eight companies into statutory management, the move prevented the immediate sale of properties that had been transferred into the name of one of the companies.
However, in the process of the investigation, the statutory managers have identified other properties that are not covered by the Statutory Management Order. In these cases, the properties were transferred to third parties (mainly individuals).
The mortgagees for these properties have agreed not to proceed with the sale of properties subject to those buy back agreements before 31 July 2003.
This gives people a very short time to get legal advice about their position and to review their options including whether they can repurchase the property.
A buy-back scheme is where a person transfers the title to their home to another company or individual and enters into an agreement to stay in it, usually by paying rent. They may also have a right to buy back the property at a later date.
People who are unsure if this information applies to them, should contact the Ministry of Consumer Affairs on 0508 468 732 (0508 HOUSEBUYBACK).
Companies placed into statutory management on 20 June 2003 are: CH Finance Limited, ICMG Leasing Limited, The Independent Creative Management Group Ltd, Toi Te Atatu Ltd, Sleinad Finance Company Ltd, Opol Ltd, ICMG Holding Ltd and ICMG Property Company Ltd.
Congratulations to the new world netball champions, the Silver Ferns, who fought hard to beat Australia in a heart-stopping final in Jamaica last week.
The Silver Ferns have campaigned long and hard to win this title after narrowly missing out in the one-goal loss of 1999. This is a phenomenal result.
Now we can only hope that the All Blacks can emulated the women's success.
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