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.
Federated Farmers previous president, William Rolleston, was very supportive of GE and there was a perception that Feds was leading the charge in support of the science — but this could now cost them.
When Northland Regional Council declared itself GMO-free Feds went to law and challenged this, but it has lost badly and could face a hefty legal bill for enthusiastically supporting GE.
Meanwhile the Feds president, Katie Milne, says she’s taken aback by the fervour of the judge’s remarks and the issue of costs. The possible awarding of costs against a party in such an appeal is unusual, she says.
“No one likes decisions that go against them, but we did have a lot of people who supported our stance,” she says.
Katie Milne says Feds took the case because they believed it was wrong for local government to have a role in controlling the use of GMOs and that this should be left to central government. She believes local government doesn’t have the expertise to deal with the GMO issue.
She says the federation is looking to keep the door open to new technologies that could help farmers and she would like to hear a mature, unemotional conversation take place on such technologies.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.
The Director General of MPI, Ray Smith says it's important for his department to celebrate the success of a whole range of groups and people around the country.
A small company which mobilised veterinarians around the country to deal with Mycoplasma bovis was one of the winners in this year's Biosecurity Awards, held at Parliament.
One of the country's top Māori sheep and beef farms is facing a five-year battle to get back to where it was before Cyclone Gabrielle struck just over 14 months ago.
Graham Brown, the executive chef for Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ), is excited about Korea.
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