RWNZ chief executive to step down
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) chief executive Gabrielle O’Brien will step down at the end of June.
The New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) has welcomed a recent announcement that vets and other animal welfare professionals are now included in the Government’s critical worker category.
The decision allows people in animal welfare roles to register as a critical worker, meaning they can continue working if they are a close contact of someone with Covid-19, provided they return daily negative rapid antigen tests.
Critical workers will still need to isolate outside of work.
NZVA chief executive Kevin Bryant says the decision gives already stretched veterinary teams more certainty about their availability to treat animals as the Omicron outbreak continues.
“We are very pleased with [this] news. It puts vets in a much stronger position to reduce any disruption that Omicron may have on their services,” he says.
“Veterinary teams have been working exceptionally hard to meet their clients’ needs during the current vet shortage.
“They now have the mechanism in place that will help to keep essential services operating when Omicron becomes widespread. Under the rules, animal welfare professionals can now register with the Government that they are a critical worker.”
Bryant is encouraging veterinary practices to register their entire teams, which will allow veterinary nurses, technicians and other essential workers in their clinics to be included in the scheme.
Angus Barr and Tara Dwyer of The Wandle, Lone Star Farms in Strath Taieri have been named the Regional Supreme Winners at the Otago Ballance Farm Environment Awards in Dunedin.
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Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
World Veterinary Day falls on Saturday 27 April.
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