Live: 'Fed up' farmers descend on towns and cities

Trucks, utes and dogs are descending on towns and cities around New Zealand this morning as farmers take part in a huge protest.

The Howl of a Protest event, organised by Groundswell New Zealand, will see thousands of farm vehicles rumbling through cities in protest against what farmers say is increasing interference from the Government, unworkable regulations and unjustified costs.

The protests are taking place in 55 cities starting from Kaitaia to Southland.

The farmers taking to the streets today are worried they could be left looking like "fringe nutters" if some take their anger at the Government too far.

Groundswell NZ’s Howl of a Protest will take place across the country, farmers protesting against increasing government regulations.

It was an early start for key players in the Groundswell protest in Alexandra this morning with organiser Melanie Wethey and farmer Jan Manson appearing on TVNZ's Breakfast this morning.

The Groundswell NZ Howl of a Protest at Pioneer Park in Alexandra today is one of 51 occurring throughout New Zealand.

Speaking to TVNZ's Breakfast Omakau farmer Jan Manson said this was the most vocal farmers had been in a long time.

"Generally rural people aren't excitable. It takes a wee bit to sort of get us rattled but I think that's what we're feeling now."

"The legislation that comes down from the top has unintended consequences, and I guess its almost embarrassing for [the] Government when they have to back track on issues that we could have told them right from the start don't work, and can't work in certain circumstances.

"I guess meanwhile for local communities we're finding that responding to this legislation is actually on top of our day job - for legislators it is their day job."

She said farmers were not "shirking the fact changes were needed but farmers and rural communities needed to be part of the process.

Speaking to the Otago Daily Times yesterday, Ms Wethey said organisers were expecting 20 to 30 tractors and "a couple of hundred utes" but that number was a moving beast.

Meanwhile the ODT understands a convoy of tractors from Ettrick and Roxburgh is making its way to Alexandra.

Groundswell co-founder Bryce McKenzie, of West Otago, said there was a lot of mental anguish in the farming community, but he hoped protesters would stay peaceful.

He wanted those who turned up to be passionate, but not angry.

"If somebody is angry about what’s happening and they’re thinking about coming on a tractor, we’d ask them not to do that.

"We are speaking up for them, so they don’t need to be out there taking out their anger on anything."

Organisation of the event had gone "really well" and each of the co-ordinators had their areas under control.

Safety was the biggest concern among organisers and protesters had been given guidelines on how to minimise traffic and safety issues, he said.

Only time would tell if their message had got across, but he hoped the protest would be remembered for the right reasons.

Christchurch organiser Aaron Stark told John MacDonald on NewstalkZB their main concerns are around constant changes to regulations and the "moving of goal posts".

"We're fed up to be honest. Every farmer I know around here, around Canterbury, we're having the talk that maybe it's time to hang up the boots and find something else to do.

"It's getting to a point where we can't do it."

The Otago Daily Times reports that in Dunedin, organisers have decided it would not be safe for the protest to stop in the city so participants will drive through the Octagon, between about noon and 12.15pm, their dogs barking.

Federated Farmers national president Andrew Hoggard said there was a real risk of the agricultural sector being made out to look like "a bunch of fringe nutters".

A big concern was offensive signage being brought to the protests, which would do more harm than good.

In last week’s Federated Farmers newsletter, Mr Hoggard asked protesters to tell those who showed up with offensive messages to "bugger off".

Just turning up would have an impact and their message would be shared by presence alone, he said.

Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins was unable to attend the protest, but said if the protesters were looking for constructive engagement they should prevent the event being "hijacked by fringe conspiracy theories".

Communities in both rural and urban settings had a common interest in conserving the environment, but the differences lay in how to achieve that and how urgently.

Despite those differences, protesting was a proud tradition in New Zealand and "a privilege we should all cherish", he said.

Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said too many changes being made by the Government were disproportionately affecting rural communities and businesses.

"Metropolitan centres may be where the majority of votes exist, but we need a fair New Zealand which allows all Kiwis to thrive economically, environmentally, socially, and culturally," he said.

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult said he would be surprised if the protest was "anything other than an orderly event".

A police spokeswoman said the protest would be monitored to ensure everyone’s safety.

Dunedin participants of the protest will drive through the Octagon about noon.

They will then return to Mosgiel where former Invermay head Dr Jock Allison would give a short address and Groundswell NZ's statement on how it sees things would be delivered.

Even though protest vehicles would be keeping left and letting other traffic flow as smoothly as possible, there would still be significant disruption to the travelling public around Dunedin and Balclutha and more time should be left to get to destinations.

wyatt.ryder@odt.co.nz 

With NZ Herald