Aust Cools On 2015 Deadline For Farming Emissions
March 2nd, 2009
Aust’s Govt is cooling on the prospect of including agriculture in its emissions trading scheme by 2015, raising the prospect of NZ farmers being disadvantaged for longer versus their counterparts across the Tasman. Agriculture Minister David Carter, who met his Australian equivalent, Tony Burke, (right), for the first time this month, says it became clear “they are not as committed to bringing farming in the scheme by 2015 as had been earlier intimated.” Carter says this poses a problem with NZ’s timetable, which is already two years ahead of Aust, with the risk “we would expose our farmers” by making them less competitive.
Farmers urge caution. Aust’s National Farmers Federation is lobbying Burke and Climate Change Minister, Penny Wong, for more research into carbon emissions from farms and warn of the economic damage if the nation imposes levies on farming before its trading partners. This resonates with Burke, who told Carter any impost on farmers must be pegged against the Govt’s economic responsibilities. Burke and Carter got off to a convivial start. Though a townie, the Aust minister is “a nice guy” and the relationship is critical given the two nations grapple with similar issues over trade and agriculture. The issue of emissions policy was elevated at the weekend, when Prime Minister John Key met with Aust’s Kevin Rudd for the first serious bilateral talks.
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