Dry weather classification expands to North Island
The dry weather in some parts of the North Island has received medium-scale adverse event classification from the Government.
Following a meeting between farmer representatives and environment and ag ministers, Environment Southland will be setting up a local advisory group for freshwater rules.
The group will be set up to feed information into another group charged with implementing the new rules, says Environment Southland (ES) chairman Nicol Horrell.
Before the main meeting, Horrell and staff from ES met with David Parker to talk through the council’s role, which is to implement the new rules.
Horrell agrees with Federated Farmers that some of the new rules are simply unworkable in Southland, but believes that the Government will not take the Feds’ advice to completely re-write the legislation.
“The political reality is that it’s not going to be possible because it would be politically embarrassing,” he told Rural News. “So the best option will be for us to get tweaks made to the rules. In some cases a few word changes could make all the difference.”
Horrell says he’s never seen such prescriptive legislation before.
“Normally you get some high level objectives and then there is room for a bit of local flavour, but with this legislation there is little wriggle room.”
Horrell believe one solution is quality farm environment plans that are audited and become something that farmers use as management tool on a daily basis.
He is hopeful that the new advisory group, which will include DairyNZ, Beef+Lamb NZ, Federated Farmers and rural professionals, will be able to come up with solutions that can be put to MfE and the minister and will bring about sensible changes.
The Commerce Commission says connectivity options for rural New Zealanders are front-of-mind as it begins a formal investigation into the future of the copper network.
Grand Finalists have been selected, all regional finals have concluded, and the journey towards the FMG Young Farmer of the Year Grand Final is underway.
Hopes of NZ sheepmeat prices picking up anytime soon in the country's key export market of China looks highly unlikely.
Regional councils are welcoming the certainty for councils in today’s Resource Management Act (RMA) announcement by the Government.
ASB says the decision to sign on to the AgriZeroNZ joint venture came out of a wish to be a part of the solution.
Federated Farmers says changes announced to the Resource Management Act today mark the end of the war on farming.
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