Carter David: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Carter David: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:648;Page:17471] 
Hon DAVID CARTER (Chairperson of the Primary Production Committee): 
 During question time in Parliament today I raised an issue around the Sustainable Farming Fund to which the Minister did not have the answer and I certainly hope he has done some homework since he has been back at his office. 
Firstly I think the point needs to be made that the Sustainable Farming Fund has an appropriation of approximately $8.5 million and it was initiated by the previous Minister of Agriculture the Hon Jim Sutton. On the whole I think it has been reasonably well regarded and well respected by farmers in New Zealand. I think the concept of the Sustainable Farming Fund has been good. But in this particular case an application was made in May 2002 to sustainably develop a paua production system on the East Cape. It was approved subject to some further information being provided which was certainly obtained by late 2003. From that date onwards the applicant continued to write to the Minister’s staff—to a particular adviser to the Minister now Mr Kevin Steel—on numerous occasions. When the applicant became frustrated that he was not getting answers from Mr Steel he wrote to the Director-General of Agriculture and Forestry he wrote to the Minister himself and he wrote to the Minister of Maori Affairs. That went on for 5 long years before the Minister finally made sure that the approval occurred and $250000 was paid over. 
If the Sustainable Farming Fund is to obtain and remain with any credibility at all then applications to it that receive approval deserve far better treatment than occurred in that particular case. The Minister in the chair the Hon Jim Anderton has now had a chance to refresh his knowledge of the facts on this matter and I certainly hope he will answer the questions about it more sensibly than he did in the House this afternoon when he took to his normal bluster and made a personal attack on me as National’s agriculture spokesperson. 
The second point I want to raise which I felt was significant in the examination of Vote Agriculture and Forestry and of Vote Biosecurity is an issue around animal welfare. I congratulate the Minister on the role he played in working with the farming sector throughout New Zealand on the response to a particularly nasty and widespread drought over the last season. But that drought has raised and will continue to raise an issue around animal welfare and addressing that issue will require resources to be made available within the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to make sure that the facilities and the capabilities are there to assist the farmers of New Zealand. We raised that issue with the Minister in debating last year’s estimates and he acknowledged that the appropriation of $2.572 million for that work was not enough. He assured us then that he would do substantially better in the next round of the Budget which is the one we are debating today. He successfully achieved an appropriation of $2.64 million—an increase of only $68000. That was of concern to the whole of the Primary Production Committee. I know that the Minister will not have the opportunity now to present another Budget bid next year to make sure he addresses that problem better but I assure him that his successor will do so. 
The final thing I want to raise is again a commendation to the Minister on his work in recognising the importance of an animal identification and traceability system within this country. Some farmers are opposed to that because inevitably it will place costs on farming operations. But it is essential for a number of reasons for us to catch up with other countries that have better traceability systems than we have in this country. 
R Doug Woolerton 
: You rubbished dog microchipping. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: We are talking about sheep and cattle I say to Mr Woolerton. Even New Zealand First does not advocate that we process dogs and export them overseas. Getting away from the Spencer Trust for just one moment if we may I was saying it is essential that we have a traceability system in this country and the first reason we need it is that our markets will require increasing amounts of accountability and traceability. The second reason that we need to have such traceability arises in the event of a biosecurity outbreak. I know that my colleague Shane Ardern will shortly be talking more specifically about Vote Biosecurity but it is essential that in the event of an outbreak—and we all hope there is no serious outbreak but we must be prepared for the fact that one could occur—we are able to trace instantly the location of such livestock throughout New Zealand.