Dry weather classification expands to North Island
The dry weather in some parts of the North Island has received medium-scale adverse event classification from the Government.
A renowned conservationist says the world and New Zealand is failing to fulfil many of the basic principles of sustainability.
The conservationist, Emeritus Professor Sir Alan Mark, says we must face up to our situation in order to avert serious risks.
Mark, of the University of Otago, spoke at Lincoln University as keynote speaker for the university's annual state of the nation's environment address.
During his presentation, he suggested that economic growth had become "an end unto itself rather than a means to a better life" and this is bad news for sustainability.
"Many people assume that if we have a healthy economy, other aspects of well-being will follow," says Mark.
"How do we achieve a sustainable economy with a financial system that requires growth for stability?"
Mark raised several environmental concerns affecting New Zealand, including widespread rangeland degradation and loss of biodiversity in areas such as the Denniston Plateau and Secretary Island.
He also pointed out that the increasingly extreme weather patterns seen in the country were likely symptomatic of global warming.
On the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, Mark describes it as problematic as it offers "multinational corporations the ability to sue governments for losses relating to policies designed to protect the environment."
"Economic development is now outstripping environmental sustainability in many areas," he said. "Adaptation, or market forces alone, are not viable options to address the environmental crisis.
"GDP is a crude measure of goods and services, wealth and well-being and we need to get away from solely focusing on this as an indicator of a country's performance. Better indicators are healthy children, quality of life and education, native forests and white sandy beaches, as is covered by the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) approach to assessing our human welfare.
"To ignore the symptoms of environmental degradation is to fail future generations."
In what appears to be a casualty of the downturn in the agricultural sector, a well-known machinery brand is now in the hands of liquidators and owing creditors $6.6 million.
One of New Zealand’s deepest breeder Jersey herds – known for its enduring connection through cattle with the UK’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II – will host its 75th anniversary celebration sale on-farm on April 22.
Rural trader PGG Wrightson has revised its operating earnings guidance, saying trading conditions have deteriorated since the last market update in February.
It's been a bumper season for maize and other supplements in the eastern Bay of Plenty.
Leading farmers from around New Zealand connected to share environmental stories and inspiration and build relationships at the Dairy Environment Leaders (DEL) national forum in Wellington last month.
AgriZeroNZ, a joint venture fast-tracking emissions reduction tools for farmers, is pouring $5 million in a biotech company to develop a low emissions farm pasture with increased productivity gains.