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."
'A lot of interest and positive responses' appears to be the way farmers are viewing the Government's initiative to hold a series of woolshed meetings around the country.
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.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.