Farmers' call
OPINION: Fonterra's $4.22 billion consumer business sale to Lactalis is ruffling a few feathers outside the dairy industry.
FORMER FONTERRA director Greg Gent has been elected to the board of Southern Cross Medical Care Society, New Zealand’s largest health insurer with around 830,000 members.
Gent retired from Fonterra’s board at November’s annual meeting after ten years on the cooperative’s top table.
Southern Cross says Gent has a strong record of governance experience in mutual/co-operative businesses, insurance and health, currently chairing Farmers Mutual Group and sitting on the Northland District Health Board.
“Greg will be a very valuable addition to the Board,” says Southern Cross chairman Graeme Hawkins.
“His combination of experience, particularly in the governance of large, complex mutual businesses, aligns very well with the needs of Southern Cross.”
Gent replaces Mark Verbiest, who retired from Southern Cross to focus on his new role as Chair of Telecom.
Academic Dr Mike Joy and his employer, Victoria University of Wellington have apologised for his comments suggesting that dairy industry CEOs should be hanged for contributing towards nitrate poisoning of waterways.
Environment Southland's catchment improvement funding is once again available for innovative landowners in need of a boost to get their project going.
The team meeting at the Culverden Hotel was relaxed and open, despite being in the middle of calving when stress levels are at peak levels, especially in bitterly cold and wet conditions like today.
A comment by outspoken academic Dr Mike Joy suggesting that dairy industry leaders should be hanged for nitrate contamination of drinking/groundwater has enraged farmers.
OPINION: The phasing out of copper network from communications is understandable.
Driven by a lifelong passion for animals, Amy Toughey's journey from juggling three jobs with full-time study to working on cutting-edge dairy research trials shows what happens when hard work meets opportunity - and she's only just getting started.