# PF084: We run a farm and live well outside a main centre. We are weighing operating costs, environmental obligations and access to local services. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. What do parties propose about freshwater and land-use rules, and how do they balance farming with environmental protection?

Collected 19 October 2026

[NZ Election 2026 · Edition 4 study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4)

## ChatGPT

Answer ID: 25906e57-76c4-4e3b-8b25-2783c5970533

For a farm well outside a main centre in New Zealand, the freshwater and land-use debate is about more than environmental standards. It can affect your compliance costs, day-to-day farm management, ability to expand or change land use, access to irrigation and local infrastructure, and the viability of rural communities.

For the 2026 general election, it helps to separate three questions:

- Freshwater rules: Who sets water-quality limits, how are catchments managed, and what monitoring, fencing, nutrient or stock-management requirements apply?
- Land use and farming: How much freedom should farmers have to change land use, intensify production, or develop infrastructure, and what environmental safeguards should apply?
- Rural services and costs: How do parties approach council regulation, farm compliance costs, transport, health services and the economic pressures on rural communities?

A useful distinction is between policies a party has formally announced for the 2026 election and changes it has already made in government or supported in Parliament. The latter can show its record, but it does not necessarily establish what it will promise next.

## 1. The main parties’ approaches

As of 19 October 2026, the election is scheduled for 7 November. National, Labour, ACT and the Greens have published 2026 election material, although the level of detail on individual freshwater and land-use rules varies. The comparison below distinguishes stated policy from broader political positioning. [Candidate and party lists released](https://elections.nz/media-and-news/2026/candidate-and-party-lists-released)[2026 Election Policy](https://www.national.org.nz/policies)[Labour's 2026 Election Policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy?quicktabs_28=0)[Manifesto 2026](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026)[ACT New Zealand](https://www.act.org.nz/make-farming-fun-again)

The key distinction is not simply farming versus the environment. It is how parties propose to achieve environmental outcomes, who sets the rules, and who bears the cost.

### National — productivity, simpler rules and environmental management

![留学におすすめな国8選【簡単にわかるメリット・デメリット】 - 留学thank you!](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/A_BxaiJ3oaPIyn5F1XPHrfbTgFS0FP_16fbAn4ojB9mAONlwnontgIqsGVBTSlsm9O25Tu151_8gSlyZ7jcWJ_jMRsMrV5SxbkLl2tY4WcoVSukGBCpMILvrQm8Aj7_y49Bksrgz9XdCghZyyikbvYlizxr3pJLL7XdpHeYVPTo?purpose=inline)

National's stated approach is to reduce unnecessary compliance, give farmers greater certainty and support primary-sector production and exports.

- Freshwater: The party has backed replacing the previous freshwater policy framework and rebalancing Te Mana o te Wai, the principle that prioritises the health and well-being of water bodies.
- Land use: It has supported simplifying intensive winter-grazing and stock-exclusion requirements and enabling on-farm water storage.
- Farm costs: Its August 2026 freshwater farm-plan announcement proposes certification and audits based on risk, with the threshold for plans raised from 20 to 50 hectares for pastoral and arable farms. Farms meeting the threshold would still need to prepare and declare a plan. [National is the Party of Farmers](https://www.national.org.nz/farming)[Decisions on Freshwater Farm Plans released](https://www.national.org.nz/news/20260819-hontoddmacclay)[Government launches consultation on freshwater national direction](https://www.national.org.nz/news/20250529-hontoddmcclay-launches-consultation-freshwater)

Trade-off: Less paperwork and greater flexibility for many farms, while the effect on water quality depends on the standards that replace the previous framework and how they are enforced.

### Labour — agricultural productivity alongside environmental obligations

![DairyNZ programme helps Canterbury dairy farmers achieve nitrogen targets | DairyNZ](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/vIid1Ken9Khxc3p7Qvln9RCNcknxj1g1W0BOJ4_y57Rq709veRLH1gTCfaEhUyyGnD344AhbJRvqEptzPbaHXGmYv-b3P7NRr3NjI3JsEeNyhGM3ud76FyODL0qtLArKSe3nqoHu_C71PoemwaiROYskNo_Qq_ft9VBu9Qfg5OE?purpose=inline)

Labour's 2026 election programme covers economic growth, infrastructure and public services, but its currently surfaced election-policy material does not establish a complete new freshwater and land-use package comparable in detail to ACT's farming proposals. [Labour's 2026 Election Policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy?quicktabs_28=0)[Labour's 2026 Election Policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy?quicktabs_28=0)

- Freshwater: Assess the party's detailed commitments on water-quality targets, catchment plans and farm environmental plans separately from its broader campaign.
- Land use: Look for its proposed balance between nationally consistent environmental requirements and regional flexibility.
- Farm costs: The practical questions are whether Labour would restore, retain or amend requirements that the current government has relaxed, and how much transition time it would give farmers.

Trade-off: The important issue is the specific regulatory framework Labour would enact, rather than assuming that its previous policies automatically describe its 2026 commitments.

### ACT — property rights, national standards and fewer routine consents

![Farming at Mount Michael Road, Fairlie](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/sSOxNWQMP9v7yQi5tiseFsYHjy1BjrMWnLjb5-Uvd_rc6Eum6oyIUIRwVONgank-6r9YSI5T5yNU5s6oTmZrnIQscoJmUVynlOxfzJXxGqHXlav1iO752k4ppneotvK4adzZWDhrG9DBY8oA1pKLlqcjwLmDdMI6uqoXjvEpnvFDTihYvswnUOtsuSDerLpJ?purpose=inline)

ACT's 2026 farming policy, Make Farming Fun Again, sets out a detailed programme focused on practical regulation and farm autonomy. [ACT New Zealand](https://www.act.org.nz/make-farming-fun-again)[ACT New Zealand](https://www.act.org.nz/news/act-to-cut-red-tape-for-everyday-farming)

- Freshwater: It proposes a national methodology for councils setting freshwater limits, with standards that recognise differences between catchments. It also proposes removing Te Mana o te Wai from freshwater regulation.
- Land use: It wants national standards for everyday activities such as fertiliser application, effluent management, farm quarries, drainage maintenance and on-farm water storage, reducing the need for individual consents.
- Environmental protection: It proposes practical freshwater farm plans focused on genuine risks, alongside funding for rural catchment groups and voluntary conservation.

Trade-off: More predictable rules and fewer consenting costs are the aims. The central question is whether the resulting limits and enforcement would deliver sufficient protection for rivers, lakes and downstream users.

### Green Party — stronger freshwater protection and ecological restoration

![Community Tree Planting Day
 – Mangaroa Farms](https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-4/xFGoqapAxQktS0bjkqENPAZt9henwT2vGFQwKK1tzxYQRK9jApJMebD7ky-l3TtZLDMtyNY--YxGyJzKh96CH0-CTbIDQYd0u9xjZuoVTgtMU3j0BOofm0sqVMANa7Rpvimah4w5h7QHyo95T-kYGTg1mvLBj8CBvMApKv_S-N4?purpose=inline)

The Greens' 2026 manifesto explicitly places healthy freshwater, nature restoration and sustainable food production among its priorities. It argues that a viable food-and-fibre sector should protect waterways and rural livelihoods together. [Manifesto 2026](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026)[Manifesto 2026](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026)[Nature and Climate](https://www.greens.org.nz/nature_and_climate)

- Freshwater: The party prioritises clean drinking water, safe swimming, healthy aquatic ecosystems and the ability to gather food from waterways.
- Land use: Its stated direction supports sustainable farming and forestry and challenges intensive production where it damages the environment.
- Environmental protection: Its wider policy programme includes stronger conservation, restoration and action on agricultural emissions.

Trade-off: Stronger ecological requirements may require more on-farm investment or changes to production practices. The details that matter for an individual farm are the proposed rules, funding support, timelines and any compensation or transition assistance.

### New Zealand First — productive farming, catchment management and practical conservation

New Zealand First's published 2023 policy provides a useful reference point, but it should not be mistaken for a newly confirmed 2026 manifesto. It supports a balance between productive land use and environmental stewardship. [2023 Election Policies](https://www.nzfirst.nz/2023_policies)[As New Zealand First pushes culture-war policies, analysts warn of limited appeal](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealand-first-pushes-culture-war-policies-analysts-warn-limited-appeal-2026-10-12/)

- Freshwater: Its previous policy supported catchment-level Farm Environment Plans and replacing Te Mana o te Wai in resource-management planning.
- Land use: It supported reducing barriers to irrigation, water storage, managed aquifer recharge and flood-protection schemes.
- Environmental protection: It backed riparian planting, wetland creation, fencing waterways and catchment boards to manage rivers and flood risk.

Trade-off: Its established policy direction emphasises practical environmental measures alongside productive land use. Check its 2026 commitments for confirmation that these positions remain current.

### Te Pāti Māori — Māori authority, freshwater health and protection of whenua

Te Pāti Māori's published policy emphasises protecting whenua (land), wai (water) and the climate, alongside Māori-led decision-making. Its freshwater policy calls for Māori rights and authority over freshwater to be asserted. [Policy](https://www.maoriparty.org.nz/policy)[Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/environment)

- Freshwater: It places greater emphasis on Māori authority and relationships with water than on treating freshwater primarily as a resource to be allocated among competing users.
- Land use: Its broader platform prioritises protecting land and the environment, with decision-making grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
- Environmental protection: Its approach gives particular weight to guardianship, collective rights and the long-term health of ecosystems.

Trade-off: For farmers, the important practical questions are how freshwater governance and allocation would work, how existing rights would be treated, and how decisions would affect farming operations. These details need to be checked against its full current policy.

## 2. Compare the approaches on the issues that affect a farm

| Issue | National and ACT | Labour | Greens and Te Pāti Māori |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Compliance costs | Explicit emphasis on simpler rules, fewer routine consents and risk-based farm plans | Check detailed 2026 proposals for specific commitments | Environmental protections may require additional changes or investment; check proposed funding and transition arrangements |
| Water-quality limits | More flexibility in setting limits and a focus on practical, risk-based management | Confirm its proposed national standards and catchment approach | Stronger emphasis on freshwater health and ecological protection |
| Irrigation and water storage | Enabling storage and making routine activities easier are explicit priorities | Check the proposed consent framework | Assess how proposed safeguards would apply to new water infrastructure |
| Land-use flexibility | Emphasis on productive land, investment and reducing regulatory barriers | The detail of its 2026 land-use framework needs checking | Greater emphasis on ecological impacts, restoration and sustainable land use |
| Māori involvement in freshwater governance | ACT explicitly proposes removing Te Mana o te Wai from freshwater regulation; National proposes rebalancing it | Check its position on Te Mana o te Wai and Māori participation | Te Tiriti, Māori rights and authority receive greater emphasis, particularly from Te Pāti Māori |

This is a comparison of broad directions, not a claim that every party has a complete policy for every row. The distinctions are supported by the parties' published material and the independent 2026 election policy guide. [ACT New Zealand](https://www.act.org.nz/make-farming-fun-again)[National is the Party of Farmers](https://www.national.org.nz/farming)[Government launches consultation on freshwater national direction](https://www.national.org.nz/news/20250529-hontoddmcclay-launches-consultation-freshwater)[Manifesto 2026](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026)[Policy](https://www.maoriparty.org.nz/policy)[Policies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/environment)

## 3. What this means for a remote farming business

Beyond the headline political positions, I would check five concrete matters in each party's detailed policy.

Freshwater compliance

Will your farm need a freshwater farm plan, certification, audits, nutrient reporting or additional work around streams and wetlands? Look at the thresholds, exemptions and review cycle, rather than relying on a general promise to cut red tape.

Flexibility to change land use

Check the proposed rules for winter grazing, irrigation, forestry conversion, wetlands, fertiliser use and farm development. These can affect the options available to your property and its future value.

Total operating costs

Consider not just the number of rules, but also the cost of meeting them: professional advice, fencing, effluent systems, testing, reporting, and potential changes to stock numbers or production.

Environmental outcomes and farm resilience

Ask how a party would protect drinking water, reduce sediment and nutrient runoff, restore wetlands and manage floods. These outcomes can affect the farm itself as well as downstream communities.

Access to rural services

Check separate policies on rural roads, healthcare, broadband, electricity reliability, emergency services and council funding. Environmental policy alone will not tell you whether a party's overall programme addresses the disadvantages of living far from a main centre.

One further consideration is implementation. A party may promise simpler rules, but the real effect depends on legislation, regulations, council plans, enforcement and the time allowed for farms to adjust. Coalition agreements can also change what gets enacted.

## 4. Where to verify the policies before voting

These sources are useful for checking the details directly:

- [Policy.nz — 2026 election policy comparison](https://policy.nz/2026/party-vote/policies/environment?utm_source=chatgpt.com) — an independent guide to comparing party commitments.
- [National — 2026 election policies](https://www.national.org.nz/policies?utm_source=chatgpt.com) and [National — freshwater farm-plan changes](https://www.national.org.nz/news/20260819-hontoddmacclay?utm_source=chatgpt.com).
- [ACT — Make Farming Fun Again](https://www.act.org.nz/make-farming-fun-again?utm_source=chatgpt.com).
- [Labour — 2026 election policies](https://www.labour.org.nz/policy?quicktabs_28=0&utm_source=chatgpt.com).
- [Green Party — 2026 manifesto](https://www.greens.org.nz/manifesto_2026?utm_source=chatgpt.com).
- [Te Pāti Māori — party policies](https://www.maoriparty.org.nz/policy?utm_source=chatgpt.com).
- [New Zealand First — published 2023 policies](https://www.nzfirst.nz/2023_policies?utm_source=chatgpt.com), useful as historical context rather than confirmation of its 2026 platform.

## How to use this comparison

The central choice is how much weight to give to lower and more predictable compliance costs, flexibility to operate the farm, and enforceable freshwater protections. Parties differ both in the outcomes they prioritise and in the regulatory methods they propose.

You can explore either of these next:  Compare the parties' freshwater policies in more detail or  Compare rural services and farming costs.

## Gemini

Answer ID: caed11a1-cd79-479d-a978-f5091f7c254c

As voters weigh up operating costs, environmental duties, and remote rural logistics ahead of the 2026 general election, the debate over how New Zealand balances primary production with environmental protection is a major focal point. 

Different political blocs approach the tension between farm profitability and environmental limits through contrasting regulatory philosophies, funding models, and infrastructure strategies.

---

### 1. National, ACT, and New Zealand First (Right / Centre-Right)
* **Core Philosophy:** Focus heavily on easing the "cost-of-farming crisis", reducing compliance costs, streamlining approvals for infrastructure, and relying on local, voluntary, or industry-led management rather than prescriptive central government mandates.
* **Freshwater & Land Use:** 
  * These parties have rolled back or adjusted strict central-government overlays (such as modifying aspects of the previous National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management and local plan processes) to prevent councils from over-burdening landowners. 
  * National's replacement resource management framework explicitly writes food and fibre production into statute as a core goal. 
* **Balancing Environment & Farming:** 
  * Emphasize **water storage and irrigation infrastructure** as a strategic national advantage to build drought resilience. New Zealand First has advocated for models similar to the Tasmanian Irrigation framework (using central government coordination to fast-track regional water schemes).
  * Support targeted, localized funding (such as backing community-led catchment groups and rural support networks) on the premise that local landowners understand their catchments best.
  * Kept agriculture out of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and favored producer-led solutions over mandatory taxes for greenhouse gas management.

### 2. Labour and The Opportunities Party (TOP) (Centre / Centre-Left)
* **Core Philosophy:** Argue that long-term agricultural productivity depends on uncompromised natural capital (clean water and stable soils), but acknowledge that regulatory processes need refinement to avoid punishing compliance loops.
* **Freshwater & Land Use:**
  * Support national environmental bottom lines and frameworks that ensure water quality standards cannot be overridden purely by development interests.
  * Labour has signaled a pragmatic shift in handling freshwater rules—acknowledging that farmers face genuine operational hurdles and cost pressures, but maintaining that clear ecological limits are required to protect export market credentials.
* **Balancing Environment & Farming:**
  * Focus on backing innovation, technology adoption, and supporting small businesses/farms through targeted tax credits or incentives (such as TOP's proposed technology rollout incentives).
  * Aim to align economic support with environmental transitions, ensuring that compliance is backed by practical assistance rather than broad punitive measures, while keeping an eye on sustainable resource use to maintain international market access.

### 3. The Green Party and Te Pāti Māori (Left)
* **Core Philosophy:** Prioritize strict ecological preservation, climate action, and mandatory environmental bottom lines, viewing climate and freshwater degradation as existential threats to the primary sector itself.
* **Freshwater & Land Use:**
  * Strongly advocate for re-embedding concepts like *Te Mana o te Wai* (the hierarchy that prioritizes the health and well-being of water bodies first) into all planning and consenting decisions.
  * Support stricter regulations on intensive land use, including placing stricter caps on synthetic nitrogen fertilizer and restricting high-impact land conversions.
* **Balancing Environment & Farming:**
  * Propose active financial and transition support for farmers moving toward regenerative agriculture, alongside increased public R&D investment for low-impact farming systems and tools.
  * Emphasize that New Zealand's premium "clean, green" export brand relies on strict environmental integrity, making rigorous regulatory protection non-negotiable for long-term economic survival.

---

### Key Takeaways for Remote Farming Operations
When considering how these platforms impact a farm well outside a main centre, the choice largely comes down to a trade-off between **regulatory certainty and cost reduction** (favoured by the right/centre-right) versus **strict environmental bottom lines and transition assistance** (favoured by the left/centre-left). 

* If your primary concern is **minimizing compliance overhead, unlocking water storage/irrigation consents, and avoiding carbon/emissions pricing costs**, the National-led and NZ First approaches lean heavily toward deregulation and regional economic stimulation.
* If your concern is **securing long-term catchment health, avoiding degradation that impacts rural land value, and accessing government-backed incentives for sustainable transitions**, centre-to-left parties offer structured environmental boundaries paired with transition funding.

Are there specific cost pressures or environmental obligations on your property (such as waterway fencing, winter grazing rules, or ETS exposure) that are weighing most heavily on your decision?

## Google AI Mode

Answer ID: bbf1a3b3-0866-442d-a8a0-227409f4ba9f

Balancing farming profitability, operational red tape, and environmental health is a central theme for rural communities heading into the **2026 New Zealand general election**. The major political parties present distinct philosophies on how to handle freshwater regulations, land-use changes (such as farm-to-forest conversions), and emissions pricing.

The policy approaches and frameworks from key parties outline these trade-offs:

1\. National Party

 * * **Approach to Rules & Red Tape:** Focuses heavily on reducing central government prescription ("getting Wellington out of farming") and streamlining local council rules. National has proposed introducing 19 new national standards to standardise and simplify day-to-day farm operations—covering areas like fertiliser application, drain maintenance, gravel extraction, and on-farm water storage. [NZ Herald]

 * **Land Use & Emissions:** Supports keeping agriculture out of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and has moved to restrict or halt the conversion of productive farmland into carbon-farming pine forests.

 * **Taxes:** Maintains a commitment to no new taxes for farmers. [RNZ]

 *

2\. Labour Party

 * * **Approach to Freshwater & Environment:** Proposes taking the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) rules through a select committee process to refine them. Labour frames its approach around listening to the sector to balance profitable, thriving rural communities with sustainable environmental standards. [RNZ]

 * **Land Use & Climate:** Committed to introducing new rules specifically aimed at limiting wholesale farm-to-forest conversions. Labour also calls for an urgent review of the ETS to disincentivise wholesale pine planting driven purely by carbon credits, while confirming that standard family farms would be exempt from their proposed targeted commercial/investment property capital gains taxes. [RNZ]

 *

3\. Green Party

 * * **Approach to Freshwater & Stocking Rates:** Emphasises strict, catchment-specific ecological bottom lines and managing stocking intensity. The Greens propose lowering the cap on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use specifically for dairy farms (from the current 190kg/ha down to 125kg/ha) and targeting high-impact catchments with lower cow stocking rates where local waterways are degraded.

 * **Land Use & Emissions:** Advocates for pricing agricultural emissions directly under the ETS, while completely removing forestry credits from the mechanism to fix structural market distortions. They argue that separating biological emissions and forestry prevents loopholes and forces genuine mitigation. [RNZ]

 *

4\. ACT Party

 * * **Approach to Regulations:** Advocates for decentralised, catchment-specific freshwater targets rather than blanket national mandates, evaluating the economic and social needs (farming, industry, and towns) unique to each specific catchment's starting point.

 * **Emissions & Taxes:** Aligns with keeping agriculture out of carbon pricing mechanisms and avoiding new tax burdens on primary producers, favouring property-rights-based and flexible local management over central bureaucratic controls.

 *

5\. New Zealand First

 * * **Approach to Growth & Land Use:** Focuses broadly on economic growth, export market protection, and practical commercial viability rather than regulatory compliance-heavy environmental targets. NZ First has highlighted trade and market-access concerns around preserving New Zealand's clean, green and GE-free status, exercising caution around biotechnology and genetic engineering rule changes that could affect international premium branding. [RNZ]

 *

* * *

 _For ongoing updates and to compare specific electorate candidates or party manifestos as polling approaches, you can check details on the[NZ Herald Election Coverage](https://www.nzherald.co.nz) or [RNZ Politics](https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics_election-2026)._

## AI Overviews

Answer ID: 618e15d3-c195-48d2-b2a8-cc9ca55ad71e

For your upcoming vote in the **2026 New Zealand general election** , political parties have drawn distinct battle lines over how they intend to balance agricultural productivity with environmental protections.

The primary policy clash centers on regulatory compliance versus environmental bottom lines. The center-right parties focus on slashing compliance costs, establishing nationwide permissions for routine activities, and expanding infrastructure. The left-leaning parties place their focus on firmer ecological constraints, reducing chemical inputs, and reinstating stricter river health principles.

Political Party Positions for the 2026 Election

The major parties approach the freshwater and land-use balance with the following distinct frameworks:

Party| Freshwater & Land-Use Strategy| Compliance & Infrastructure Approach
---|---|---
**National Party**| **Flexible land-use settings** to boost exports; introduces 19 nationwide standards to bypass council consents for routine tasks.| **$300 million in loans** for regional and on-farm water storage; keeps agriculture completely out of the ETS.
**Labour Party**| **Select Committee rebuild** of freshwater rules using a collaborative model, rejecting a return to the rigid 2020 frameworks.| **No capital gains tax on farms** ; supports Te Mana o te Wai and regional agritech research funding.
**ACT New Zealand**| **Scraps Te Mana o te Wai** and spiritual concepts from water laws; implements catchment-specific methodologies.| **Repeals the Zero Carbon Act** ; increases rural catchment group funding by $4.5 million annually to empower local management.
**Green Party**| **Lowers synthetic nitrogen caps** from 190kg/ha down to 125kg/ha; enforces firm national bottom lines for nitrate limits.| **Restricts intensive dairy expansion** in sensitive catchments; funds transitions to regenerative farming practices.

Freshwater Management and Compliance Rules

Central to this election is how parties plan to address the **Freshwater Farm Plans (FWFPs)** that have heavily impacted operational workflows.

 * **National and ACT:** Focus heavily on removing "Wellington red tape". National's package of 19 new national standards permits on-farm water storage, vegetable growing, animal waste handling, and drain maintenance without needing individual council consents, provided baseline criteria are met. ACT pushes for a pure risk-based framework, moving away from process-heavy compliance.
 * **Labour:** Acknowledges the original 2020 rules were overly restrictive and heavily rejected by the rural sector. They propose using the 2020 rules strictly as a "starting point" for a full Select Committee review to construct a practical, farm-friendly framework with input from the sector.
 * **Greens:** Advocate for strict national bottom lines for ecosystem and drinking water health. They propose addressing stocking rates directly in vulnerable catchments like Southland to physically reduce pressure on waterways.

Land-Use, Emissions, and Farm Inputs

The parties propose different trade-offs regarding your day-to-day land flexibility and operating costs:

 * **Climate and Forestry Conversions:** National and ACT pledge to permanently keep agriculture out of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). National also promises to limit the wholesale conversion of productive farmland into carbon forestry to protect rural communities. The Green Party opposes this by advocating to strengthen the ETS and incorporate agriculture directly.
 * **Fertiliser Security and Technology:** To mitigate fluctuating global costs, National has committed to negotiating formal **fertiliser security agreements** with supplier nations and co-investing $10 million into domestic manufacturing. They also favor lifting restrictions on gene technology to allow for climate-resilient crops and feed. Conversely, the Greens want a strict reduction in synthetic fertilisers to drive a shift toward nature-positive farming.

If you would like to explore how these policies interact with your specific setup, feel free to share:

 * Your **primary farming sector** (e.g., dairy, sheep & beef, horticulture)
 * The **regional council territory** your farm sits within
 * Whether you are currently navigating **freshwater compliance or water storage** issues