Prosecution initiated over piggery effluent discharges
Waikato Regional Council is taking Te Aroha piggery farm to court following an investigation into the discharge of effluent into a stream.
New tax breaks that will contribute to protecting water quality have been welcomed by a regional council.
From this month, riparian plantings by farmers are tax deductible as an operational expense instead of being classified as capital expenditure.
A change to the Income Tax Act explicitly allows deductions for plantings to "prevent or mitigate discharges into water courses or water bodies". The provision is available to trees, shrubs and other plantings.
The Government says the new measure will encourage farmers to plant trees and shrubs in riparian strips along creeks and rivers, thereby increasing natural habitat and reducing the amount of sediment and nutrients entering waterways.
Waikato Regional Council catchment services group manager Scott Fowlds says the council, its partner iwi and stakeholders have a strong focus on protecting water quality in the region.
So the Government's new tax rules are a welcome addition to measures supporting this, he says.
"The council itself already offers grants of up to 35%t of the cost of fencing off waterways and riparian plantings on farms in priority catchments."
For more advice on planting and fencing issues, contact a council land management officer on 0800 800 401 or visit www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/forfarmers
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
World Veterinary Day falls on Saturday 27 April.
The Director General of MPI, Ray Smith says it's important for his department to celebrate the success of a whole range of groups and people around the country.
A small company which mobilised veterinarians around the country to deal with Mycoplasma bovis was one of the winners in this year's Biosecurity Awards, held at Parliament.
One of the country's top Māori sheep and beef farms is facing a five-year battle to get back to where it was before Cyclone Gabrielle struck just over 14 months ago.
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