Mayor's road rage
Lack of progress in repairing the stretch of State Highway 2 between Wairoa and Napier is angering Wairoa Mayor Craig Little.
The timber industry believes the government's announced boost to home construction, through a Housing Infrastructure Fund, needs to have a timber focus.
Woodco chair, Brian Stanley, says the volume of housing resulting from Prime Minister John Key's announcement during the weekend can only be achieved through giving priority to timber construction.
"If we want that many houses to be built quickly, properly, and with sustainable materials, timber is the way to go. This is even more the case with the medium rise and high density dwelling construction which will be important in Auckland," Stanley says.
"Timber generally is available, builders like it and are used to using it. It's affordable and it's light. Modern timber technology gives great thermal retention and earthquake resistant qualities.
"A not insignificant factor is that using timber for construction is environmentally beneficial, since wooden buildings continue to lock up the carbon the trees have absorbed from the atmosphere in the first place."
Stanley says the scale and speed of house construction likely to result from the government initiative means builders in the targeted centres will want to work with materials and methods which have been well tested and are known to be reliable.
"Timber ticks all the boxes and our industry is keen to talk with anyone in the construction business, architects, central and local government about how we might get on with the job."
The country’s 4200 commercial fruit and vegetable growers will vote from May 14 on a new HortNZ levy.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
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.
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