# Farmer Policy Debate on Carbon Farming and Freshwater Targets

> Farmers hear political pitches on carbon farming, freshwater rules and tax changes ahead of election.
- Title: Farmer Policy Debate on Carbon Farming and Freshwater Targets
- Summary: Farmers hear political pitches on carbon farming, freshwater rules and tax changes ahead of election. Five major parties debated agricultural policies at a…
- Keywords: carbon farming, freshwater targets, tax features, farmer policy debate, national party, labour party, act party, greens party, nz first, emissions trading scheme, dairy farms, forestry
- Source: RNZ — https://rnz.co.nz/news/politics_election-2026/1677946/carbon-farming-freshwater-targets-and-tax-features-of-farmer-policy-debate
- Author: RNZ | Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa
- Published: 2026-10-01T20:04:38+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: carbon farming, freshwater targets, tax features, farmer policy debate, national party, labour party, act party, greens party, nz first, emissions trading scheme, dairy farms, forestry
## Political debate at Mystery Creek
Around 350 farmers attended a political rural issues debate near Hamilton on Wednesday night.
## ETS and forestry concerns
Farmers worry about ETS forestry impacts, but National claims it protects farmland from conversion to trees.

> This isn't a fight between trees and farming. It's about making sure that one people have choice but that a government decision which ends up being a subsidy to grow trees from the carbon market doesn't change the nature of their decisions.
## National's ETS policy
National said it stopped new farm-to-forest conversions in the first full year of the policy.

> It's the first full year that the sale of valuable farmland for conversion to trees has stopped.
## Labour's ETS review
Labour committed to reviewing ETS to disincentivise pine tree planting for carbon credits.

> We will do an urgent review into the ETS because we want to disincentivise planting pine trees just in that capacity.
## Green Party's ETS approach
The Greens plan to remove forestry from ETS to fix current distortions in carbon markets.

> We're the only ones who are going to make the ETS work by taking forestry out of it entirely, so we don't get the distortion that we've currently got and the workaround that this Government's tried to do which is not sufficient to actually solve the problem.
## Tax policy commitments
National, Labour and ACT pledged no new taxes for farmers, with Labour confirming farms won't face capital gains tax.

> It is a simple, targeted capital gains tax on commercial property and investment properties.
## NZ First's economic plan
NZ First proposed a sovereign wealth fund and regional infrastructure funding to boost small businesses without tax cuts.

> New Zealand First is the only party that's not talking about tax, we're talking about an economic plan, how we're going to actually turbocharge and grow the pie.
## Freshwater management targets
Labour aims to refine freshwater rules, while ACT and Greens want catchment-specific targets for farming and towns.

> We've got to look at each catchment and be going what is the starting point.
## Synthetic nitrogen limits
The Greens proposed lowering synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use on dairy farms from 190kg/ha to 125kg/ha.

> We have to manage the stocking rates of dairy cows in certain catchments.
## Key takeaway

Five major parties debated agricultural policies at a rural event, with National, Labour, ACT, NZ First and Greens proposing changes to carbon farming, freshwater targets and tax rules.