New floodway upgrade completed to boost flood protection for Edgecumbe
A major floodway infrastructure upgrade has been completed in Edgecumbe, providing enhanced flood protection and resilience for the local community.
Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson, who farms at Lawrence in Otago, has personally been actively involved in assessing the situation in his region.
For several days he embedded himself in the Clutha Emergency Management bunker and later visited farms and towns in the region to see the situation for himself. He says he visited the small settlement of Toko Mouth where the Tokomairaro River comes out and the Catlins and settlements around the Puerua River.
“The event in Otago was quite coastal in terms of impact and in some cases there was up to a metre and half of water on some farms. In many cases it was the tributaries of the larger rivers that came up fast,” he told Dairy News.
Patterson says his own farm at Lawrence did not get too badly hit by the floods. He says one of the positives to come out was the early warning of the impending heavy rain that allowed farmers to move their stock to safer ground.
“Driving around the district, I didn’t see too many stock in floodwaters,” he says.
In the meantime, Patterson says he’ll continue to monitor the situation and will await the MPI report to see what further assistance is needed from government in Otago and Southland.
Tractor manufacturer and distributor Case IH has announced a new partnership with Meet the Need, the grassroots, farmer-led charity working to tackle food insecurity across New Zealand one meal at a time.
The DairyNZ Farmers Forum is back with three events - in Waikato, Canterbury and Southland.
To celebrate 25 years of the Hugh Williams Memorial Scholarship, Ravensdown caught up with past recipients to see where their careers have taken them, and what the future holds for the industry.
Among this year’s Primary Industry NZ (PINZ) Awards finalists are a Southlander who created edible bale netting and rural New Zealanders who advocate for pragmatic regulation and support stressed out farmers.
Rockit Global has appointed Ivan Angland as its new chief operating officer as it continues its growth strategy into 2025.
Nominations are now open for the Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) board.
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