The convoy’s symbol of all things agriculture, a large green tractor, had its brakes applied by the New Zealand Police before it could even get out of the car park, because it wasn’t registered for the road.
But it barely raised a whimper from those gathered, who carried on regardless, in a show of unity in support of the national Groundswell protest — ‘‘We’re not going to take it’’.
They were determined to represent those who couldn’t make it, and their passion about the protest was clearly displayed on their vehicles via a deepfreeze, and wrapped baleage on utes, and carefully scripted slogans on the sides of four-wheel drives, held firmly in place by silage tape.
Though the North Canterbury turnout was a shadow of the November 2021 protests, Groundswell organisers Bryce McKenzie and Laurie Paterson, said the turnout across New Zealand of over 10,000 farmers was great, considering they had only eight days to get on board, and slot the protest into their schedule during a particularly busy time on farm for farmers and contractors.
Mike Dredge and Peter Brooker travelled from Maruia/Springs Junction to join the North Canterbury farmers at Amberley.
The convoy joined up with farmers travelling from Oxford, Cust and Rangiora, before merging with convoys from the west at Johns Road, near Christchurch Airport and travelling on into the inner city.
Mike said he joined the protest as he took the future of farming extremely seriously.
Peter said the Government’s proposal was ‘‘ideological bullshit’’. It would not have been so bad if it made a difference to the climate.
But it wouldn’t because squeezing the New Zealand farming community would just shift the problem off shore to fill the gap created by the loss of New Zealand’s exports.
‘‘Every litre of milk, and every tonne of grain, is going to be produced somewhere else with a high carbon footprint,’’ says Peter.
He would like to see someone assess the carbon footprint of Super Rugby which was held for nothing but fun.
Farming on the other hand was a serious business, and, as his signs said: ‘‘The only country to tax food production’’, ‘‘Food B4 Pine Trees’’, and ‘‘World’s most efficient agriculture’’.
Others read ‘‘No farmers, No food’’, and ‘‘We Love Farmers’’.
Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey backed the farming community, saying farmers he had met since the emissions announcement were ‘‘far from impressed’’.
‘‘There is no precedent for what the Government is doing and it’s hugely disappointing for rural areas like Waimakariri.’’
Mr Doocey says New Zealand’s farmers were responsible for feeding tens of millions of people worldwide. If they ceased production it was inevitable other countries would be quick to step in and fill the gap.
This meant the country not only losing out on export revenue, but the emissions problem would simply be shifted overseas as jobs and production ramped up to fill that gap.
Comparisons could be drawn with Labour’s ban on gas and oil which had led to New Zealand having to import record amounts of dirty Indonesian coal, he said.
‘‘Out of sight, out of mind is not the benchmark we want to be setting as world leaders.
‘‘We should be proud our farmers are setting the ultimate carbonefficiency standards already, and support them to do so without rendering it fiscally impossible for them to continue.’’
Mr Doocey says losing one fifth of sheep and beef farming is too high a price to pay for individual farmers, many of whom he had spoken to in his own electorate in the past two weeks.
He vowed to continue engaging in the issue by talking to farmers and local sector leaders who were feeling let down by the Government.
‘‘Agriculture is the backbone of Waimakariri and the wider New Zealand economy and we must support it.
‘‘When our farmers do well, we all do well.’’ Í Groundswell has given the Government a month to respond to its concerns before any other action is taken.
