This guide will help you understand the submission process and how to write a submission. A written submission is your way to tell Government what these new proposals will mean for you, your family, your business and your community.
Understanding the submissions process
A submission is your written statement about the proposed new rules in the Action For Healthy Waterways discussion document. These proposals are designed to meet Government’s objectives for freshwater. Submissions received about the Healthy Waterways proposals will be summarised by government officials and reviewed by an independent panel. Cabinet Ministers will then decide on the final regulations for freshwater. There will be no public hearings. It’s important for you to write a submission and for your voice to be heard.
How do I compose a clear, well-written submission?
Plan what you want to write. Each paragraph has one point. Decide what order you want the
points to be.
Write short sentences and short paragraphs. Use simple everyday language. Stick to the facts. Provide specific examples from your farm business of what the proposal will
mean for you.
Tell the government what you want them to know – don’t leave them to guess.
Avoid emotion. Avoid personal comments about individuals or organisations.
QUICK REFERENCE LINKS
Beef + Lamb factsheet about the proposals: VIEW IT HERE
Healthy Waterways Discussion Document VIEW IT HERE
MfE on-line submission tool. VIEW IT HERE
I want to put in a submission. What do I do?
It’s OK to feel overwhelmed. It’s a long document about a complex topic. Talk with your neighbours or other farmers and growers about these proposals. This will help you think about what you could write in your submission.
Complete your submission by 5pm Thursday 31 October 2019
Look out for the more detailed industry submission guides. Coming soon, these guides might help you work out the costs of meeting these new proposals.
You can also post a written submission. Section 12.2 (pg 102) lists the personal details to add. Post to: Freshwater submissions, Ministry for the Environment, PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143. Email your submission as a pdf or a MS word document to: Consultation.freshwater@mfe.govt.nz
This article is free to view because it is a topic of high importance. This article was published in Country-Wide magazine. For less than $10/month, you can receive this detailed information to help improve performance within your business. nzfarmlife.co.nz/country-
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