"Our" business?
OPINION: One particular bone the Hound has been gnawing on for years now is how the chattering classes want it both ways when it comes to the success of NZ's dairy industry.
The Climate Change Commission has received over 15,5000 public submissions on its first draft advice to the Government.
This exceeds the 15,000 submissions made in 2018 on the Zero Carbon Bill, which included the establishment of the commission.
Submissions closed on March 31. Commission chief executive Jo Hendy says the submissions will strengthen the commission's advice.
"The level of constructive feedback we have received will ensure the commission's advice to government on the direction of its emissions reduction plan and recommended emissions budgets are enduring and practical.
"As an independent crown entity, our role is to provide the advice, but the Government must develop the detailed strategy and take action. Once we have handed over the advice, the ball is in its court."
Many of the responses, for example from representative groups, have bundled submissions on behalf of large numbers of members. In some cases, single emails included template submissions from hundreds or even thousands of people.
"A lot of organisations with a very keen interest in the transition to a low emissions future for Aotearoa have gone to great efforts to encourage their members to have their say and coordinate those responses. We are very grateful for the work that has gone into these submissions," Hendy said.
The commission must deliver its final package of advice to the Government by May 31 and within 10 working days Minister of Climate Change James Shaw must table the advice in Parliament.
Hendy says the commission has received very positive feedback on its consultation process and extraordinary interest and engagement in its work. During the consultation phase, the commission team held or attended around 200 events and talked with an estimated 4,000 people.
"We learnt a lot through the consultation phase and one of the things we're seeing as we go through the submissions is a lot of consistency with what we hear across Aotearoa during our consultation.
Coal Not In Co-Op's Plan
Fonterra has told the Climate Change Commission it has been working on its transition to renewable energy for some time.
Despite some "practical constraints", the co-operative says it will get out of coal.
Nine of its 29 sites use coal and chief operating officer Fraser Whineray says there's been a lot of progress over the last few years to get the co-op to a position where it can make this commitment.
"With customers in more than 140 countries we have global insights and long-term trends supporting these actions, which have been in progress for some time," he says.
Conversion or replacement of existing coal boilers to renewable energy is a significant, logistical, technical and financial uptaking.
"We've built a lot of capability in-house and with partners in New Zealand and internationally and this provides us with comfort that solutions are sustainable.
"It's important to us that New Zealand continues to be at the forefront of sustainable food production - and getting out of coal is one way we can help with this," Whineray says.
Claims that some Southland farmers were invoiced up to $4000 for winter grazing compliance checks despite not breaching rules are being rejected by Environment Southland.
According to the most recent Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, farmer confidence has inched higher, reaching its second highest reading in the last decade.
From 1 October, new livestock movement restrictions will be introduced in parts of Central Otago dealing with infected possums spreading bovine TB to livestock.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
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