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OPINION: About as productive as a politician's taxpayer-funded trip to Hawaii, as cost-effective as an OSPRI IT project, and as smart as the power-company pylon worker, the Hound gives you the NZ Post business strategy:
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) says a survey among members has found strong opposition to the decision by banks to stop accepting cheques in 2021.
“The response was the highest we’ve ever had for a survey in three years. So, it’s clearly an issue for rural communities,” says RWNZ policy manager, Angela McLeod.
According to the survey, the main use of cheques was paying monthly bills, purchasing farm supplies, and paying tax.
Over 70% of respondents voiced concerns over the phasing out of cheques.
42.5% of respondents said they still wrote out cheques for purchases and expenses.
Of those who used cheques, 75.2% said they posted them to make their payments.
“The goal is not to create a permanent stay of cheques, however, to create a viable option for those who do not yet have the connectivity options,” says RWNZ board member and social issues portfolio convenor Sharron Davie-Martin.
“Rural communities don’t have the technology or access to consistent technology to carry out their banking transactions - they have to use cheques.
“Cheques will get rid of themselves eventually, however, we want places to be able to accept cheques until technology is at a point where farming and rural communities can safely use the internet for their banking transactions,” says Davie-Martin.
She adds that while banks say they will help their customers learn to use online banking, that option wouldn’t help those who don’t have reliable internet connections.
“All we want is for banks and other institutions to just keep accepting cheques until technology is at a point where every rural household has good, reliable internet – that’s it.”
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.