Crazy
OPINION: Your canine crusader was truly impressed by the almost unanimous support given by politicians of all stripes in Parliament to the recent passing of legislation for the NZ/EU free trade deal.
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 country’s 4200 commercial fruit and vegetable growers will vote from May 14 on a new HortNZ levy.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
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.