Foot-in-mouth
OPINION: The Hound hears from his canine pals in Southland that an individual's derogatory remarks on social media have left them wishing they had kept their mouth firmly closed.
More calls are fielded by Federated Farmers Southland about tough immigration criteria for migrants than about any other issue, says the region’s president Russell MacPherson.
“A bit too tough” is how he describes criteria for migrants, including Filipinos and other nationals wanting to live and work in Southland.
The situation has gone sour. Filipino dairy workers, whose labour is said to have underpinned Southland’s dairying, are now leaving New Zealand.
And many are no longer seeking entry, says Anne Hanning, of Hanning Immigration, Invercargill. She files and supports residency applications for many Filipinos, but sees many turned down by Immigration New Zealand. Many go where residency is easier to get.
Hanning says many Filipino families approaching Immigration NZ casually are rejected as not meeting the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) criteria for residency in either country.
Dorothea Hawkins, chair of the Southland Filipino Society, says the Filipinos are getting a hard time from Immigration NZ. She says her nephew was declined residency and went to Canada, getting dairy farm work and residency after one year there.
She says it is “ridiculous” that Immigration NZ is inviting people to apply for residency at great cost when about 85% of applications received in Southland are declined.
Without residency visas, Filipinos workers here on worker visas had to leave New Zealand when they reached age 54, she says. – Peter Owens
Commercial fruit and vegetable growers are being encouraged to cast their votes in the Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) board directors' election.
A unique discovery by a Palmerston North science company, Biolumic, looks set to revolutionise the value and potential of ryegrass and the secret is the application of ultraviolet (UV) light.
A New Zealand company is redefining the global collagen game by turning New Zealand sheepskin into a world-class health product.
With further extreme weather on the way, ANZ Bank is encouraging farmers and business owners impacted by the recent extreme weather and flooding to seek support if they need it.
New Zealand must continue to educate Chinese consumers about the unique qualities of its red meat products and how they differ from competitors, says Silver Fern Farms chief executive Dan Boulton.
There are opportunities outside the farmgate for young farmers to further develop their skills, says 2025 Primary Industries Emerging Leader Award winner Bridie Virbickas.
OPINION: Dust ups between rural media and PR types aren't unheard of but also aren't common, given part of the…
OPINION: The Hound hears from his canine pals in Southland that an individual's derogatory remarks on social media have left…