Young water science talent recognised
Third-year student Cady Burns has won the Waikato Regional Council Prize in Water Science for 2024.
The Waikato Regional Council will hold an extraordinary meeting on Monday to consider calls to extend submission deadline on Healthy Rivers/Wai Ora plan.
Submissions on the proposed plan close at 5pm on 8 March. Farmer lobby groups want more time to make submissions.
Waikato Regional Council says it has prepared its own submission on the proposed plan, and has received 95 submissions from the public to date.
“Based on requests for information that have been coming through, we are aware sectors and individuals are working on submissions at the moment and we expect more will be lodged in the closing week of this process,” says chief executive Vaughan Payne.
All documents, including editable submission forms, are available on the council website.
“Managing water quality in the Waikato and Waipā rivers is one of the biggest environmental issues facing our region. For the last two decades our community has told us water quality is their number one priority. Now is their opportunity to have their say on the solutions proposed,” said Mr Payne.
Payne says no policy is perfect when it’s first notified and, as with any policy development, there are aspects of the proposed plan the council believes may need to be refined. “We expect this to happen through the submission process.”
A submission on the proposed plan has been prepared by staff for council consideration. The submission takes into consideration how the plan can practically be implemented and enforced, how the plan affects the council as a land owner and key infrastructure provider, and how the proposed plan delivers on the regional council’s legal responsibilities for developing resource management policy for freshwater management.
“Our submission supports the overall intent and objectives of the proposed plan while making practical suggestions for improvements in how Healthy Rivers/Wai Ora could be implemented for affected landowners, while ensuring the protection and restoration of the Waikato and Waipā rivers into the future,” Mr Payne said.
Key submission areas include the approach to nitrogen management, ownership of nitrogen reference points, including monitoring and enforceability, the implications of the current proposal on commercial vegetable production and addressing some inconsistencies in the proposed plan rules.
Fonterra has cemented its position as the country’s number one cheesemaker by picking up nine NZ Champion of Cheese trophies this year.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
An educational programme, set up by Beef + Land New Zealand, to connect farmers virtually with primary and intermediate school students has reported the successful completion of its second year.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a resolution adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Waikato herd health veterinarian Katrina Roberts is the 2024 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.