12. Question No. 12—EnvironmentMARK CAMERON (ACT) to the Associate Minister for the EnvironmentQuestion No. 12—Environment12. MARK CAMERON (ACT) to the Associate Minister for the Environment: What recent reports if any has he seen relating to farmer confidence?Hon ANDREW HOGGARD (Associate Minister for the Environment): Thank you Mr Speaker. A few days ago Federated Farmers released their 31st farm confidence survey. Overall it showed a weakening of farmer confidence with a net 66 percent of farmers pointing out that current economic conditions are very challenging and that profit margins for many are squeezed. These results underscore the importance of our efforts to get Government spending under control and to put downward pressure on inflation doing the rural banking inquiry through the Primary Production Committee and for improving the regulatory environment for farmers.Mark Cameron: What work is he doing in his portfolio to restore farm confidence?Hon ANDREW HOGGARD: Farmers are still concerned about the cost of regulatory compliance. We have a lot of work to do in this space but we are doing it. For example I am fast progressing our work to simplify and reduce costs in freshwater farm planning to provide a robust but affordable way of managing the environmental risks of farming. Officials are out talking to the sector now about what would work and I've asked them to focus on making sure we can recognise the good stuff that farmers are already doing and avoid any duplication with existing farm planning frameworks.Mark Cameron: What else is he working on that will help boost farm confidence?Hon ANDREW HOGGARD: Last week I was in South Australia—and I note to question No. 6 I couldn't spot a single road cone—viewing the pilot that they are running on an emerging biodiversity credit market. I was able to see different options for how a market might work in New Zealand. The aim of this is to help farmers diversify their income by attracting private funding to support all the work that our farmers are already doing to protect New Zealand's native biodiversity. To me this seems a much more sustainable fairer and more effective option than stripping property rights off landowners through the use of significant natural areas (SNAs)—something that we're also addressing for farmers through changes to the National Policy Statement on Indigenous Biodiversity.Mark Cameron: What other engagements has he had that support farmers to protect their natural biodiversity?Hon ANDREW HOGGARD: I was in the South Island two weeks ago—Hon Dr Duncan Webb: Do you know where it is?Hon ANDREW HOGGARD: —looking at a range of pest control programmes—yes great place to be—that have been supported by the Government including wilding pines and wallabies. Getting on top of these pests will give a great boost to productivity or productive farming and biodiversity. Actions like these as well as the reform this Government is undertaking in resource management in freshwater will go a long way to helping farmer confidence improve even in these tough economic times.SPEAKER: A new initiative from today: because I know a lot of members need to leave the House fairly quickly to go to other meetings and other responsibilities at the end of question time we'll have a one-minute wait while people clear the House but people lingering to have conversations won't be a welcome thing. That concludes oral questions. [Interruption] It's not an invitation to have those conversations—just leave the House.