Say NO to mud farming
The coalition government is pushing through yet another piece of regressive and destructive legislation which stands to exacerbate animal cruelty and environmental degradation.
The proposed Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill would scrap all regulations on mud farming; regulations that were designed to manage the harmful impacts of the practice.
Mud farming is recognised as one of the most inhumane and environmentally damaging farming practices in Aotearoa, where animals are confined to small paddocks that rapidly deteriorate to mud during the winter season.
Animals on mud farms are forced to live and give birth in knee-deep mud, struggling to access clean drinking water, food, and shelter. Mud farming also severely degrades the soil until it can no longer support life or prevent pollutants from entering our waterways.
This Bill would have dire consequences for animals and our freshwater.
Submissions CLOSED 11:59pm, 30 June, thank you to everyone who added their voice!
Key points used in submissions:
We encourage you to draft your own custom submission, but we have some points for you to copy and paste below to get you started.
I strongly oppose the Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill and urge you to ensure that this Bill does not proceed.
I care deeply that New Zealand’s animals are protected with robust standards of animal welfare, and that the health of our fragile natural environment is at the forefront of decision-making.
I am profoundly concerned that repealing regulations for winter grazing (also known as mud farming) will exacerbate poor animal welfare outcomes and freshwater pollution.
Under the Animal Welfare Act 1999, animals have a right to have their basic needs met. Mud farming condemns animals to muddy paddocks where they are forced to birth in mud, and struggle to access clean drinking water, food, and shelter. Animals on mud farms have been seen to suffer from higher rates of dehydration, malnutrition, metabolic problems, thermal stress, injury, and even death. This is unacceptable by any standard of animal welfare.
This Bill explicitly dismantles New Zealand’s world-leading freshwater protections, prioritising profit over the health of our freshwater and those who rely on it.
In general, dairy farming in Aotearoa is associated with exorbitant methane emissions, severely polluted waterways, biodiversity loss, and widespread animal suffering. Allowing more mud farms to operate with fewer checks and balances will have dire consequences for animals, water quality, and human health.
I urge you to reject the Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill to uphold New Zealand’s commitment to ethical and sustainable farming practices.
Submissions CLOSED 11:59pm, 30 June
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Your gift will help SAFE mobilise public opposition against mud farming and increase public and political pressure for a ban.