increase font size
Federated Farmers Gisborne-Wairoa has thrown its weight behind a campaign to get the Napier-Gisborne rail line repaired.
"We want to create new jobs on the East Coast and we need freight transport to do that," says Hamish Cave, Federated Farmers Gisborne-Wairoa provincial president.
"It's no secret we've got constraints with our roads and this is why we need the Government to sit down with us, employers and the council to look at all the freight transport options we need. This isn't an 'either/or' as we need better roads, better shipping and of course, a rail line.
"Government policy is too skewed to the cities where Roads of National Significance are about solving congestion. There needs to be recognition regions like Gisborne need our own Roads of National Significance to help us develop economically.
"Rail is also vital but to secure a viable rail you need to start with a rail line in the first place."
Cave believes it will cost $3.4 million to repair a line that hasn't been touched since 1988's Cyclone Bola.
Even if it's twice that, it's still small compared to the "massive $1.6 billion government-funded upgrade to the Auckland metro rail network," announced only last year, he says.
"We just want a fair shake of the stick and the infrastructure to grow our region. Doing this doesn't just help Gisborne-Wairoa but the big cities by creating more export wealth, more jobs and more opportunities.
A rare weather double-whammy has seen many South Island farmers having to deal with unseasonal snow while still cut off from power supplies after an unprecedented windstorm.
OPINION: Recent media commentary from Southland Federated Farmers has raised concerns among our rural communities, particularly around Environment Southland’s approach to winter grazing inspections and nitrogen reporting. But let’s be clear, much of what’s been said simply doesn’t reflect reality.
OPINION: Environment Canterbury's (ECan) decision recently to declare a so-called “nitrate emergency” is laughable.
A shameless political stunt is how Federated Farmers is describing the Canterbury Regional Council decision to declare “a nitrate emergency” on the back of its latest annual groundwater quality survey.
Federated Farmers say Environment Canterbury's decision to declare a 'nitrate emergency' is a shameless political stunt that won't help anyone.
With the current situation in the European farm machinery market being described as difficult at best, it’s perhaps no surprise that the upcoming AgriSIMA 2026 agricultural machinery exhibition, scheduled for February 2026 at Paris-Nord Villepinte, has been cancelled.
The Meat Industry Association of New Zealand (MIA) has launched the first in-market activation of the refreshed Taste Pure Nature country-of-origin brand with an exclusive pop-up restaurant experience in Shanghai.
Jayna Wadsworth, daughter of the late New Zealand wicketkeeper Ken Wadsworth, has launched an auction of cricket memorabilia to raise funds for I Am Hope's youth mental health work.
As we move into the 2025/26 growing season, the Tractor and Machinery Association (TAMA) reports that the third quarter results for the year to date is showing that the stagnated tractor market of the last 18 months is showing signs of recovery.
DairyNZ chair Tracy Brown is urging dairy farmers to participate in the 2026 Levy vote, to be held early next year.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is calling for nominations for director roles in the Eastern North Island and Southern South Island electoral districts.
OPINION: Every time politicians come up with an investment scheme where they're going to have a crack at 'picking winners'…
OPINION: What are the unions for these days?
