Groundswell NZ
The group has also sought to oppose or revise freshwater, indigenous biodiversity, climate change, pastoral land reform policies, and the Three Waters reform programme affecting farmers and rural communities [1][2] On 16 July 2021, Groundswell NZ staged a nationwide Howl of a Protest campaign in between 47 and 57 cities and towns throughout New Zealand to protest what they regarded as "increasing Government interference, unworkable regulations, and unjustified costs" on the rural sector.
[10][2] In addition, the group has called for local councils to halt Resource Management Act planning processes, claiming that significant natural areas, wetlands and landscapes were having a negative impact on people and their property values.
[11][2] On 22 July 2022, Groundswell urged farmers and horticulturalists to boycott the Government's Agricultural Production Census until Statistics New Zealand agreed to use an emissions metric based on what the group considered "sound science" and a warming-effect approach.
[14] In 20 August, Groundswell issued a press release claiming that Climate Change Minister James Shaw had conceded that the HWEN scheme was flawed and had abandoned it.
Shaw also reiterated the Government's commitment to working with the agricultural and horticultural sector to develop a "fair, effective system" for reducing carbon emissions.
[16] On 25 July, Groundswell issued a letter in the West Coast Region criticising the draft Te Tai o Poutini Plan (TTPP) and calling for its withdrawal.
[19][20][21] Groundswell NZ was founded by two West Otago farmers named Bryce McKenzie and Laurie Paterson, who were opposed to the Government's regulations on grazing, harvesting and freshwater use.
Groundswell NZ subsequently became a national movement organised through the social media platform Facebook, with the number of followers growing from 900 in October 2020 to 14,000 by mid-July 2021.
Protests were organised in 20 towns including Alexandra, Gore, Invercargill, Mosgiel, Oamaru, Greymouth, Blenheim, Thames, Hastings, Palmerston North, and Kerikeri.
[9][10] On 16 July, Groundswell staged protests in 57 cities and towns across New Zealand including Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Mosgiel, Whangārei, Dargaville, Kerikeri, Kaitaia, Levin, Dannevirke, Te Awamutu, Amberley, Greymouth, Alexandra, Wānaka, Invercargill, Timaru, Gisborne, and Hastings.
Auckland organiser Scott Bright claimed that the thousands of protesting farmers rallying together demonstrated "the seriousness" of the impacts of regulatory costs and the emotional toll on the rural community.
[27] In mid August, Groundswell NZ co-founder Bryce McKenzie confirmed that the group would be organising a nationwide protest campaign in November 2021 to oppose allegedly "unworkable regulations" relating to freshwater, indigenous biodiversity, and climate change.
[28] Co-founder Laurie Paterson stated that the second planned protest campaign was in response to the Government's refusal to address their concerns about freshwater and climate change mitigation policies.
[30][31] On 21 November, Groundswell NZ held its "Mother of All Protests" across 70 towns and centres including Kaitaia, Whangārei, Auckland, Tauranga, New Plymouth, Taupō, Wellington, Nelson, Greymouth, Christchurch, Timaru, Temuka, Geraldine, Waimate, Fairlie, Alexandra, Balclutha, Bluff, Gore, Invercargill, Mosgiel, Oamaru, Palmerston, Queenstown, Stewart Island, Te Anau, and Wānaka.
[39][40] Protest convoys were planned for the major cities of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin as well as several smaller centres including New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Gisborne, Blenheim and Invercargill.
[48] In late December 2021, Climate Change Minister James Shaw confirmed that he had agreed to meet the leaders of Groundswell in Southland in 2022 at the request of National Party MP Joseph Mooney.
"[51] In April 2022, McKenzie declined to meet Ardern with other farming industry bodies including DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb New Zealand, claiming it was difficult to get them to understand Groundswell's perspective.
According to McKenzie, the group was focusing on the Government's HWEN partnership to reduce primary sector emissions and the Water Services Bill, which would affect rural properties.
[56] Groundswell NZ has attracted criticism for alleged racism and misogyny after several participants in its Howl of a Protests rallies carried racist and misogynistic messages.
[33] On 16 November 2021, Groundswell's Hamilton organiser and Waikato dairy co-op Tatua director Ross Townshend drew controversy after he made an offensive social media post disparaging Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta.
[58][59] On 18 November 2021, Economic and Regional Development Minister Stuart Nash claimed that Groundswell NZ's website promoted racism and vaccine hesitancy in response to a question by ACT Member of Parliament Mark Cameron.
[60] On 12 December, McKenzie and Paterson publicly distanced themselves from racist participants at Groundswell rallies during an interview with TVNZ journalist John Campbell on the 1News current affairs programme "Special: Anger, Anxiety & Us."
[62] In early November 2021, Groundswell co-founder McKenzie denied being an anti-vaxxer after he refused to participate in a Dairy NZ promotional video encouraging farmers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
[63] On 28 August, Stuff reported that several Groundswell NZ activists including Whangārei convenor Tracy Thomasson and James Wolfen Duvall were also members of the anti-vaccination group Voices for Freedom, which has opposed the New Zealand Government's COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and vaccine mandates.
Members of the anti-vaccination group turned up in large numbers to October's Groundswell-organised protest against the government's proposal for a farm-level emissions pricing scheme.
