Wairoa Mayor: Road upgrades between Napier and Wairoa will boost safety and accessibility
The road between Napier and Wairoa is on the mend.
Ngai Tukairangi Trust chair Ratahi Cross was one of many people to have a narrow and frightening escape from the floodwaters that struck around Puketapu, north east of Napier and adjacent to Eskdale.
He was out at their orchard when the Ngauroro burst its banks and he suddenly turned around and saw the floodwaters lapping at the door of his truck.
"I jumped in and of course the water poured in, but the truck was running, so I decided to get back onto Swamp Road with the water chasing me and it was going as fast as my truck as well," he told Hort News.
"I got through to Omahu and I was trying to escape out there and then I saw the river had breached there as well. So, I headed towards the golf links, near Taradale, and tried to get out that way. By the time I got there the tar seal was floating and the river was raging under the tar seal and it had exploded out - I was absolutely trapped," he says.
Eventually, Cross and a group of about 50 people managed to scramble to high ground where they remained for 2 ½ days until they were able to get out. To add to the drama, a member of the group had a heart attack and it was only by chance that a member of the group had a Starlink phone and they were able to call in a rescue to take the person to hospital.
"It's such an amazing thing when you see a helicopter and you know it's coming to you - it's very uplifting," he says.
Newly elected Federated Farmers meat and wool group chair Richard Dawkins says he will continue the great work done his predecessor Toby Williams.
Hosted by ginger dynamo Te Radar, the Fieldays Innovation Award Winners Event put the spotlight on the agricultural industry's most promising ideas.
According to DairyNZ's latest Econ Tracker update, there has been a rise in the forecast breakeven milk price for the 2025/26 season.
Despite the rain and a liberal coating of mud, engines roared, and the 50th Fieldays Tractor Pull Competition drew crowds of spectators across the four days of the annual event.
Nationwide rural wellbeing programme, Farmstrong recently celebrated its tenth birthday at Fieldays with an event attended by ambassador Sam Whitelock, Farmers Mutual Group (FMG), Farmstrong partners, and government Ministers.
Six industry organisations, including DairyNZ and the Dairy Companies Association (DCANZ) have signed an agreement with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to prepare the country for a potential foot and mouth outbreak.
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