Diplomatic Incident
OPINION: Your old mate hears an international incident is threatening to blow up the long-standing Anzac alliance as Kiwis and Aussies argue over who wants new Australian resident and former NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
The Government is today introducing the long-awaited Climate Change Bill with agriculture included.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says agriculture is incredibly important to New Zealand, but it also needs to be part of the solution.
“That is why we have listened to the science and also heard the industry and created a specific target for biogenic methane.
“The split gases approach we’ve agreed on is consistent with that commitment.”
The Bill sets a target for 10% reduction in biological methane emissions by 2030, and aims for a provisional reduction ranging from 24% to 47% by 2050.
That provisional range will be subject to review by the independent Climate Change Commission in 2024, to take account of changes in scientific knowledge and other developments.
Ardern says the independent Climate Change Commission, established by the Bill, “will support our emissions reduction targets through advice, guidance, and regular five-yearly “emissions budgets”.
“The Bill also creates a legal obligation on the Government to plan for how it will support New Zealand towns and cities, business, farmers and Iwi to adapt to the increasingly severe storms, floods, fires and droughts we are experiencing as a result of climate change.
“New Zealanders have made it clear they want leadership and consensus on climate change legislation.”
She says “a practical consensus” has been built across the three Government parties that creates a plan for the next 30 years, which provides the certainty industries need to get in front of this challenge.
The closure of the McCain processing plant and the recent announcement of 300 job losses at Wattie’s underscore the mounting pressure facing New Zealand’s manufacturing sector, Buy NZ Made says.
Specialist agriculture lender Oxbury has entered the New Zealand market, offering livestock finance to farmers.
New research suggests Aotearoa New Zealand farmers are broadly matching phosphorus fertiliser use to the needs of their soils, helping maintain relatively stable nutrient levels across the country’s agricultural land.
Helensville farmers, Donald and Kirsten Watson of Moreland Pastoral, have been named the Auckland Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
Marc and Megan Lalich were named 2026 Share Farmers of the Year at last night's Canterbury/North Otago Dairy Industry Awards.
William John Poole, a third year Agribusiness student at Massey University, has been awarded the Dr Warren Parker and Pāmu Scholarship.
OPINION: The good news keeps getting better for NZ dairy farmers.
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