MOU a significant milestone
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Lincoln University and Ballance Agri-Nutrients is being hailed as a significant milestone.
A seminar on rural dispute resolution has been organised at Lincoln University, Christchurch this month.
The one-day gathering, taking place on 14 May, will be hosted by the Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand, or AMINZ, the country’s professional association for dispute resolvers.
Valuation disputes, sharemilking agreements and farm ownership structures will be among issues discussed by a group of speakers. Local law firm, Tavendale and Partners, who have a shared goal of promoting effective dispute resolution in the agribusiness sector, are sponsoring the event.
AMINZ executive director Monique Pearson says the seminar is one of an array of similar events hosted by the organisation and is aimed at helping improve dispute resolution and providing continuing professional development across several sectors.
“This particular event is designed to be an insightful and engaging day, focusing on important topics relevant to our rural community,” says Pearson. “The rural sector is our country’s economic backbone, and this is a forum to discuss the many challenges faced in the area of dispute resolution.”
The programme will feature discussions on key areas such as farm debt mediation, rural arbitration, sharemilking agreements, national panel of conciliators and family succession conflicts. Pearson describes these topics are vital for navigating the complexities of the rural sector and resolving disputes.
Among the confirmed speakers are Federated Farmers national vice president Colin Hurst, lawyer Mark Tavendale, arbitrator Penny Mudford, mediator Ann Skelton, consultant Kim Robinson, former crown prosecutor Ben Vanderkolk, commercial mediator Barry Jordan, agribusiness advisor Guy Polson, commercial litigator Alex MacDuff, James Law, arbitrator Ranald Gordon and Peter Glassford.
Peason says all interested parties are invited to join in the crucial conversations that impact the rural sector and to contribute to the development of solutions that are tailored to the unique needs of New Zealand’s rural communities. For more information, they can visit the AMINZ website, www.aminz.org.nz.
AMINZ is a professional institute in New Zealand for people working in dispute resolution. The Institute is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting high-quality dispute resolution services by its members to the public.
It has a significant role in the New Zealand Farm Debt Mediation Scheme, established under the Farm Debt Mediation Act 2019, and has been granted the status of an Approved Mediation Organisation by the Ministry for Primary Industries.
This accreditation allows AMINZ to oversee and authorise mediators who are competent to conduct these mediations. AMINZ also collaborates in developing and maintaining the standards and training required for mediators under the scheme. The scheme not only helps address the immediate financial disputes but also aims to improve the overall resilience and mental health of the farming community by providing a fair process for handling what can be stressful financial situations.
China’s Ambassador Wang Xiaolong says bilateral economic and trade cooperation between China and New Zealand has made significant and rapid progress.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
OPINION: This old mutt well remembers the wailing, whining and gnashing of teeth by former West Coast MP and Labour…
OPINION: Your canine crusader gets a little fed up with the some in media, union hacks, opposition politicians and hard-core…