End of war on farming, say farmers
Federated Farmers says changes announced to the Resource Management Act today mark the end of the war on farming.
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
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.
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.
World Veterinary Day falls on Saturday 27 April.
Graham Brown, the executive chef for Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ), is excited about Korea.