Close to 400 people came out in support of farmers in Wānaka yesterday (Sunday November 21) as part of a nationwide ‘Mother of all Protests’ for farming lobby group Groundswell NZ.

Groundswell’s aim was to make the government “sit up and put a stop to unworkable regulations and policies such as SNAs [significant natural areas], the Ute Tax [penalties for ute buyers to subsidise rebates for people who purchase electric vehicles] and Three Waters”, which the group says hurts New Zealand's rural communities. 

The protest followed Groundswell’s Howl of a Protest in July, which attracted a larger number of tractors and trucks to Wānaka, and which included a “bark up” by farm dogs.

Read more: ‘Enough is enough’: protestors descend on Wanaka

Local organiser Anna Emmerson, a Lindis Pass farmer, told the Wānaka App there was “a bit of a mix of town and country” at yesterday’s protest.

Wānaka developer Allan Dippie leads the procession. PHOTO: Wānaka App

The introduction of the government’s Three Waters plans to the list of Groundswell’s concerns had added to the interest, she said.

Read more: Three Waters working group named, terms of reference released

“The aim for this time around was to get people to understand the issues and explain more about what our food and fibre producers are doing,” Anna said.

“It’s not just farmers whining.”

Yesterday’s Wānaka protest featured six speakers: Otago Regional Councillor Michael Laws, former ACT member of parliament Gerry Eckhoff, Wānaka developer Allan Dippie, Wānaka builder Clint Gollop, retired Wānaka farmer Tim Scurr, and Anna Emmerson.

Michael Laws talked about the role and importance of farming in our wider communities, claiming that farmers have been “demonised” by the current government; and Allan Dippie emphasised the need for the wider community to support each other.

Allan Dippie speaking to the crowd. PHOTO: Supplied

A Groundswell statement broadcast on Newstalk ZB during the protest said New Zealanders want an end to a range of regulations “until genuine consultation takes place that treats all New Zealand citizens in a fair and equal manner resolving in acceptable resolutions for all”.

If the government is “not forthcoming in addressing these issues”, Groundswell called on New Zealanders to join a protest in Wellington in February next year.

Anna said there had been a lot of interest generated by social media before yesterday’s protest.

Groundswell had invited people to support a “social media blitz” by paying for advertisements. 

The group also emailed supporters before the protest asking them to avoid “off-message or offensive banners that the media will highlight” in an attempt to stop the protest being muddied by anti-vaccination and anti-government messages. The group shared a code of conduct, and listed approved slogans for protest banners (for example, No Way SHA, No 3 Waters, No Ute Tax, Rewrite NPS Freshwater, and Standing Against Unworkable Regulations).