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OPINION: Your canine crusader was staggered to learn that an investigation by the Taxpayers' Union has revealed that taxpayers and Otago ratepayers have forked out more than $2.76 million to kill just... 18 wallabies!
That's a kill cost of $153,000 per wallaby and it's taken 26,000 hours of work.
An OIA by the Taxpayers Union revealed this was just one of the 'Jobs for Nature' projects funded by the Government's Covid slush fund.
Labour dreamt up the 'Jobs for Nature' scheme - and allocated it $1.2 billion in funding - as a 'make work' programme when it feared NZ would see mass job losses as a result of the pandemic.
According to the Taxpayers Union, 'Jobs for Nature' has continued to dish out taxpayer money to ineffective 'conservation' projects at an average cost of around $200,000 per 'job'.
No wonder the country is facing massive fiscal problems when the Government develops silly ideas like this!
Federated Farmers has called on Central Otago District Council (CODC) to drop or vote down a plan to truck sludge from Alexandra and Cromwell to farmland near Lauder, warning it would compound an "outrageous" situation created by a separate council's decision weeks earlier.
Farmers across parts of Southland and South Otago are continuing to deal with difficult conditions after a prolonged run of wet weather, with pressure building around feed supply, stock management, pasture damage, farm infrastructure and everyday workloads.
Rabobank has celebrated the tenth anniversary of its AgPathways Programme, with 23 farmers from Otago and Southland gathering for two-and-a-half days to learn new business management and planning skills.
New Zealand farming history needs to be celebrated, says the New Zealand Century Farm and Station Awards (NZCFSA) national coordinator, Anne Barnett.
Otago Regional Council is set to begin its annual winter farm flyovers in the next three weeks.
Pāmu has released its FY26 Integrated Annual Report, reporting a Net Operating Profit of $113 million, more than double the $49 million recorded in FY25.
Meat Industry Association data, released alongside the Red Meat Sector conference in Wellington, shows export value climbing across the US, China, UK and Canada.
Applications are set to open for the 2027 Zanda McDonald Award, a trans-Tasman award recognised for identifying and fast-tracking talented young leaders in agriculture and agribusiness.
The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (the College) and Hauora Taiwhenua Rural Health Network are calling for investment in a proposed new training pathway for rural GPs, warning that many rural practices are struggling to recruit while a large share of the existing workforce nears retirement.
Federated Farmers has called on Central Otago District Council (CODC) to drop or vote down a plan to truck sludge from Alexandra and Cromwell to farmland near Lauder, warning it would compound an "outrageous" situation created by a separate council's decision weeks earlier.
Synlait has swung to second-half profit as operations stabilise, but the dairy processor still posted a $75.4m annual loss.
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