Council urged to delay rate hikes
A Southland farming leader wants the regional council to delay a proposed regional rates hike, much of which is intended to fund flood protection works.
Once again, it has been a year of pleasing results from industry, incidents and the dairy sector, the annual compliance monitoring report compiled by Environment Southland has found.
Compliance manager Simon Mapp says Southland's significant non-compliance rate is one of the lowest in the country.
For the third year in a row there has been a reduction in significant non-compliance on effluent discharge consents. The rate of significant non-compliance is now at 4.5%, down from 6% last year.
Southland industries continue to perform well, with NZAS, Meridian Energy and Solid Energy setting a good standard for environmental compliance. Mapp says it was also pleasing to see the improvement made by Takitimu Coal and Pioneer Energy.
Regulatory Services committee chairman Neville Cook says it's really good to see the steady improvements. "It shows that the educative programme is working. If we inform people better, then they'll try and comply with the rules and get the results everyone wants for the environment."
In the coming year the compliance division will be taking an education-first approach to the implementation of the Proposed Regional Air Plan as they support the change in home heating with the goal of improving air quality.
A Southland farming leader wants the regional council to delay a proposed regional rates hike, much of which is intended to fund flood protection works.
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) says access to personal banking services in rural communities is fundamental to promoting outcomes that benefit Kiwi consumers.
A group set up to boost education and promotion of wool says it has made positive strides during the first year of its three-year strategy.
Meat processor ANZCO Foods says despite a challenging business environment, it has posted a net profit before tax of $61 million for 2023.
The deer industry is working on getting more venison into Asia.
The red meat sector is welcoming the start of trade negotiations between New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).