Farmers across New Zealand have taken to the streets today in protest against the Government's new agricultural emissions pricing plan.
The scheme announced last week would see farmers pay for their greenhouse gas emissions through levies.
Agriculture makes up nearly half of New Zealand's emissions.
Protesters gathered in Auckland's Domain and Christchurch's Hagley Park, as well as other locations. (Source: 1News)
Protests were planned from Whangārei to Bluff, including slow-moving tractor convoys. Organisers Groundswell say the emissions proposal poses an "existential threat to rural communities" and an "assault on food production".
Groundswell co-founder Bryce McKenzie told Breakfast it's "a disaster for New Zealand farming".
"This is really serious, not just for farming but for the whole of New Zealand and particularly rural New Zealand.
"It's going to have a massive impact on businesses right through New Zealand as time goes on."
McKenzie acknowledged something has to be done about emissions, but said farmers feel like they're being penalised.
Groundswell co-founder Bryce McKenzie says it's "a disaster for New Zealand farming". (Source: 1News)
"What we're doing is taking our food production away."
Police said they were aware of the planned protest activity and have been in communication with organisers.
"Our staff will be monitoring the roading network and will respond to any issues as they arise," a spokesperson said this morning. "Police recognise the lawful right to protest, and we also recognise the public has a right to go about their lawful business."
In Auckland, police advised motorists to expect disruption across the motorway network this morning, in particular State Highway 1.
But Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said the scheme is fundamentally based on consultation with the primary industry.
"We took the proposal that came to us from our primary producers, from the sector," she told Breakfast on Monday.
"We made two changes fundamentally really; one was just to say 'look, when it comes to setting the levy, we're not going to leave that to the sector', we do believe that we need to have a bit more impartiality.
"And the second (change) was on sequestration, but our message is, 'let's actually work through those issues together'.
"But fundamentally, the principles we've worked with came from the sector because we needed to make sure that they were workable, that they could be delivered on a farm, so it was key that we heard their view on that."
National leader Christopher Luxon said the plan "seems really unfair" and is "really unacceptable".
He told reporters today that the Groundswell protests are "symptomatic of immense frustration."
Tractors disrupted traffic around the country today. (Source: 1News)
"It's a series of unworkable and impractical regulations and legislation that the Government has dished up on farmers since they came to power."
Luxon said the National Party is calling for a "sector-led approach" instead.
"We want it to come from the bottom-up, not from the top-down."
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