I'm aware you can greatly cut down on the time for gathering leveling using leves (personally I have like 90 allowances atm lol, burning them slowly though), but unless the gathering leves change significantly past level 30 or whatever you're still getting those same 4 mission variations which are all still just "click 80% 50 times". The only function gathering classes really have is to provide materials for your crafting classes so I only see it as I a good thing to cut down on the time you spend leveling a gathering class. There's nothing dynamic about the gathering in this game like there is for crafting so it's really just a mindless grind regardless of length. If there was some kind of complexity to it like crafting does it wouldn't be so bad. I'm talking about mining/botany though, fishing isn't so bad.
Either way, the patch doesn't really affect me personally because I'll probably try to get the Luminary Tools anyway, so I'll be grinding nodes like crazy and I'll craft/sell whatever random mats I'll be getting. I just think it should be feasible for someone who isn't like me, leveling every craft at the same time, to be able to have his gathering and crafting classes level alongside each other.