Urgent action needed to restore Waikato lakes' health
Waikato is home to a diverse range of lakes, and experts say they urgently need better management and restoration.
The Government’s Provincial Growth Fund is putting $7.11 million into creating a sustainable water supply for Wairarapa.
Parliamentary under-secretary for regional economic development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today that two projects will receive Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) funding are:
• A $7 million investment in Wairarapa Water Limited for the pre-construction development of water storage (and associated distribution) infrastructure at the Wakamoekau site in the Wairarapa.
• $110,000 to the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency Ltd led by the Wairarapa Water Resilience Committee to develop and produce a Wairarapa Water Resilience Strategy.
Tabuteau says the current Wairarapa water supply is becoming increasingly under threat from climate change and a growing population and economy in the region.
He says the two projects will help to attract new industries to the region, create more jobs, and future-proof the local economy.
Plentiful milk supplies from key producer countries are weighing down global dairy prices.
The recent windstorm that cut power to dairy farms across Southland for days has taught farmers one lesson – keep a generator handy on each farm.
The effects of the big windstorm of late October will be felt in lost production in coming weeks as repair crews work through the backlog of toppled irrigation pivots, says Culverden dairy farmer Fran Gunn.
The dairy sector is hopeful of being part of a free trade deal being hammered out between New Zealand and India.
With the current situation in the European farm machinery market being described as difficult at best, it’s perhaps no surprise that the upcoming AgriSIMA 2026 agricultural machinery exhibition, scheduled for February 2026 at Paris-Nord Villepinte, has been cancelled.
The Meat Industry Association of New Zealand (MIA) has launched the first in-market activation of the refreshed Taste Pure Nature country-of-origin brand with an exclusive pop-up restaurant experience in Shanghai.

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