Damien O’Connor: NZ united on global trade
When it comes to international trade, politicians from all sides of the aisle are united, says Labour's trade spokesman Damien O'Connor.
Rural Communities Minister Damien O’Connor will be visiting flood-stricken Southland today.
The region is in a state of local emergency following widespread flooding.
“I’m heading down there to support response and recovery efforts and meet with the locals”, he says.
“A lot of people have been evacuated from their homes, have suffered flood damage to their properties or are disrupted by road and school closures. I urge people to put safety first, listen to the advice of authorities, and look out for each other.”
O’Connor acknowledged and thanked those working on the response.
“I know the Civil Defence Emergency Management staff in the Emergency Operations Centre are working around the clock, as are Police, Fire and Emergency NZ, NZ Defence Force and National Emergency Management Agency personnel.
“It’s a big operation and the situation is changing really rapidly. Seeing things first-hand will enable me to assess if additional Government support is needed”, he said.
The Government is set to announce two new acts to replace the contentious Resource Management Act (RMA) with the Prime Minister hinting that consents required by farmers could reduce by 46%.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change would be “a really dumb move”.
The University of Waikato has broken ground on its new medical school building.
Undoubtedly the doyen of rural culture, always with a wry smile, our favourite ginger ninja, Te Radar, in conjunction with his wife Ruth Spencer, has recently released an enchanting, yet educational read centred around rural New Zealand in one hundred objects.
Farmers are being urged to keep on top of measures to control Cysticerus ovis - or sheep measles - following a spike in infection rates.
The avocado industry is facing an extremely challenging season with all parts of the supply chain, especially growers, being warned to prepare for any eventuality.
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