Govt to rethink farm health and safety rules with practical reforms
Farmers are welcoming new Government proposals to make farm health and safety rules more practical and grounded in real-world farming.
Dairy Women's Network is seeking to shift members’ ‘can do’ attitude to one of ‘can do safely’, by means of free workshops called ‘Step up to Safety’, from late October.
These will be run by DWN members experienced in health and safety and supported by Worksafe NZ and Hazardco. “Participants will take away a 90-day health and safety action plan or actions identified to progress to next steps,” said project manager and farmer wellness specialist Lynda Clark.
Some farmers may have got complacent about safety, thinking they are off the hook following the Government’s recent health and safety legislation announcements, Clark says. But it’s not so.
“While sheep, beef, dairy and deer farming are deemed ‘low-risk’ industries, every industry’s workforce should go home safe at the end of each working day.
“These workshops will take health and safety out of the office and onto the farm and discuss what effective health and safety onfarm looks like.”
Attendees will gain better understanding of the current health and safety legislation and how it affects them, and will understand where their businesses are compliant and where they need more action.
A function at Parliament on 7th October brought together central government decision-makers, MPs, industry stakeholders and commercial partners to highlight the need for strategic investment in the future of Fieldays and its home, the Mystery Creek Events Centre campus.
The Government's revised 2050 biogenic methane target range of 14-24% by 2050 is being welcomed by dairy farmers.
An increasing number of students are doing agricultural and horticultural degrees at Massey University by distance learning.
ANZ New Zealand is encouraging farmers and businesses impacted by the recent extreme weather that hit Southland and South Otago last week to seek support if they need it.
When Professor Pierre Venter takes up his new role as vice chancellor at Massey University next February it will just be a matter of taking a few steps across the road to get to his new office at the Palmerston North Campus.
Two rural data organisations - DairyNZ’s DairyBase and Farm Focus - have formed a new partnership that aims to remove data duplication and help provide more timely, useful benchmarking insights for farmers.
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