India–New Zealand FTA talks continue in Delhi as officials pursue trade breakthrough
This past week has seen another round of negotiations between India and New Zealand to produce a free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries.
The Government is investing a further $37.5 million into water security for Northland.
Deputy PM Winston Peters and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones today announced the new funding and the location of a new water storage site.
The new funding follows a Government announcement in April that up to $30 million would be provided through the Provincial Growth Fund for Far North, Mid-North and Kaipara to investigate potential water storage sites in the regions.
A water storage site has now been chosen in Ngawha after months of technical assessment. Construction on the site could begin in September, earlier than the initial aim of this summer.
Both Ministers say they hoped work would begin earlier than initially announced if the project could be fast-tracked through new Resource Management Act provisions developed by Environment Minister David Parker following COVID-19.
“An earlier start to construction would mean more work sooner for contractors and businesses in the region at a time when Northland is suffering through the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Peters.
“Bringing the start date forward by months would also mean an earlier finish date, and earlier access to a secure and reliable water supply for a region that has been hit hard by drought.”
Jones says the additional funding of $37.5m from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will be used to accelerate and expand the delivery of the Northland water storage programme as part of the Government’s COVID-19 response.
“We recognise the value of providing more upfront investment to get these projects moving ahead and lift regional productivity significantly in a much shorter time frame,” says Jones.
“It also provides a visible vote of confidence in the Government’s intention to back its regions.”
Some farmers in the Nelson region are facing up to five years of hard work to repair their damaged properties caused by the recent devastating floods.
Federated Farmers is joining major industry-good bodies in not advocating for the Government to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.
Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.
Within the next 10 years, New Zealand agriculture will need to manage its largest-ever intergenerational transfer of wealth, conservatively valued at $150 billion in farming assets.
Boutique Waikato cheese producer Meyer Cheese is investing in a new $3.5 million facility, designed to boost capacity and enhance the company's sustainability credentials.
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