Groundswell

Farmers will hit the road today in opposition to the Government's livestock emissions plan. Thousands are expected to turn out for the "We're Not Going to ...

It comes alongside a net-zero emissions target for 2050. In Auckland, convoys will meet at Pukekohe at 8am before hitting the road. There's no guarantee this is going to do anything. "And now we're going to remind the Government how New Zealand pays its way in the world." "Even our Agricultural Minister, Damien O'Connor, said it could increase greenhouse gases. The Government has committed to a 10 per cent reduction in methane emissions from agriculture and landfills by 2030, going up to a 24-47 per cent reduction by 2050, compared to 2017 levels.

Tractors will be driving through city centres across the motu as Groundswell, an advocacy group for farming and rural communities in New Zealand, protest ...

Farmers will hit the road today in opposition to the Government's livestock emissions plan. Thousands are expected to turn out for the We're Not Going to.

Watch: Groundswell protesters drive tractors across Auckland's Harbour Bridge. Credits: Newshub. Farmers have walked off the paddocks and driven into the big ...

Tractors will take to the roads today as part of a nationwide protest organised by Groundswell. The farmer advocacy group opposes the government's emissions ...

Bear in mind our starting point has been the system that came to us from the sector themselves. Speaking to reporters in Auckland, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said: "We are in the middle of a very genuine process here. We want to be out and are out talking to our farmers and our food producers as to the best possible design for the system. ["If you've got a government that won't listen you have to do things so people take notice" duration 4:52](/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018863431/farmers-hitting-the-road-for-another-protest) ["If you've got a government that won't listen you have to do things so people take notice"](/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018863431/farmers-hitting-the-road-for-another-protest) "Let's work out how it's going to be best for the farmers and the country, the problem being is that if you just charge willy nilly for something that you actually have no solution to, then it's a tax, it's not actually what supposed to be." "All I can say is we apologise but the whole thing about it is if you've got a government that won't listen you have to do things so people take notice and as I said we're going to try and keep it as legal as we can."

A small crowd - estimated to be fewer than 100 people - gathered at Parliament to protest the proposal for a farm-level emissions pricing scheme.

"The freezing works in Wairou for example, the small towns like Pahiatua, Danneverke, Eketāhuna that rely on farmers to buy products ... Actually they've got to have options - if there isn't technology available we don't want to see a situation where they're having to stop production and it's going to happen in a less sustainable way elsewhere." I think that they do need to be stood up for. "Look around you ... "They're entitled to have their voice ... "I think what people are concerned about is let's not do a big experiment that fails. "The tax is going to make our businesses unviable in a lot of cases, so I'm really worried about the social aspects in rural New Zealand," he said. And failure would be potentially irreversible. "But I wouldn't have much to say about some of the other people that have tried to hijack the process today." "I understand that there's been quite a range of people trying to hijack the event," he said. "We want to work with farmers to come up with a scheme that puts the incentives in the right place, but it can't be punitive. "National's preference is to have a scheme that accounts for the good work that farmers do on farm and we want to see more of - regenerative farming, planning of bush, riparian planting, more efficiency in the farming system," she said.

Tractors are being driven through main city centres in the latest protest by the farmer advocacy group Groundswell. Follow live updates.

"Let's work out how it's going to be best for the farmers and the country, the problem being is that if you just charge willy nilly for something that you actually have no solution to, then it's a tax, it's not actually what supposed to be." The protest was not necessarily campaigning for farmers to be exempt from paying for emissions, he said. The farmer advocacy group wants out of the proposed

Roaring tractors and blasting horns could be heard on the central streets of Northland towns today as farmers protest the Government's livestock emissions ...

[The farming advocacy group attracted criticism after many of its Howl of a Protests rallies carried racist, misogynistic and anti-vax messages on signs and cars last year.](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/groundswell-founders-distance-themselves-from-racist-protesters/W7SFVIN7CIDY4UXGWNF245QNPU/) [those taking part in the protest across the country.](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/groundswell-protest-thousands-expected-in-major-centres-this-morning/6EVOIOC7HMBY5F342CNFMY5KHU/) The Northland leg of the protest had tractors rolling through Whangārei, Dargaville and Kaitāia. [links to the Taxpayers' Union](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sponsored-stories/how-to-build-a-force-for-good/ENHBBPVCTFMFFCIKPUETCF3IZM/). [Terms of Use](https://www.nzme.co.nz/about-us/terms-conditions)and [Privacy Policy.](https://www.nzme.co.nz/media/1737/nzme-privacy-policy.pdf) [The world-first scheme that will see farmers paying for agricultural emissions in some form by 2025 is out for consultation from today.](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/farm-emissions-scheme-federated-farmers-condemns-governments-agricultural-emissions-pricing-plan/F7US73J7Y3WSWBVOSJM4R3FTVU/)

Groundswell NZ took to the streets across the country today to protest against the Government's farm emissions pricing plan, but the number of protesters ...

It appeared to be the biggest showing of protesters throughout the country. About 100 protesters had gathered on Parliament's lawn as part of the "We're Not Going to Take It" protest. "This tax emission plan as currently proposed is unworkable. Only one tractor was seen on the streets of Wellington. "Even our Agricultural Minister, Damien O'Connor, said it could increase greenhouse gases. There's no guarantee this is going to do anything.

Fellow Te Puke protester Pat Caulfield says they are here to "take a stand on democracy" and ask "where is the money?". Protesters Dave Mitchell, left, and Pat ...

It is a natural phenomenon. The system they are using overestimates the true output by 400% Photo: Felicity Alquist.

Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor says the number of protesters was "not as many as they thought". Meanwhile, National's deputy leader Nicola Willis ...

"The freezing works in Wairou for example, the small towns like Pahiatua, Danneverke, Eketāhuna that rely on farmers to buy products ... Actually they've got to have options - if there isn't technology available we don't want to see a situation where they're having to stop production and it's going to happen in a less sustainable way elsewhere." "Look around you ... "I think what people are concerned about is let's not do a big experiment that fails. "They're entitled to have their voice ... And failure would be potentially irreversible. they're going to disappear and we're going to have a blanket of pine trees." "The tax is going to make our businesses unviable in a lot of cases, so I'm really worried about the social aspects in rural New Zealand" he said. "But I wouldn't have much to say about some of the other people that have tried to hijack the process today." "I understand that there's been quite a range of people trying to hijack the event," he said. "National's preference is to have a scheme that accounts for the good work that farmers do on farm and we want to see more of - regenerative farming, planning of bush, riparian planting, more efficiency in the farming system," she said. "We also want to encourage uptake of technology in investment in breakthrough technology which will allow farming to occur in a lower-emission way."

Groundswell NZ took to the streets across the country today to protest against the Government's farm emissions pricing plan, but the number of protesters ...

It appeared to be the biggest showing of protesters throughout the country. About 100 protesters had gathered on Parliament's lawn as part of the "We're Not Going to Take It" protest. "We must protect our farming and rural communities. "This tax emission plan as currently proposed is unworkable. Only one tractor was seen on the streets of Wellington. "Even our Agricultural Minister, Damien O'Connor, said it could increase greenhouse gases.