Maori-owned orchards bounce back from cyclone damage
A large Māori-owned kiwifruit business that was badly damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle has bounced back with a vengeance.
Horticulture New Zealand says that while it welcomes plans to extend planning permissions for post-cyclone rural recovery work in Hawke’s Bay, Tairāwhiti Gisborne needs to be included in that work.
The Ministry for the Environment (MfE) recently consulted on the proposed Hawke’s Bay Rural Recovery Works Order in Council.
This would extend the period during which land users can complete rural recovery works from Cyclone Gabrielle without a resource consent.
Michelle Sands, HortNZ’s general manager strategy and policy, says the Order of Council is very welcome and much-needed in Hawke’s Bay.
However, she says, there are still growers in Tairāwhiti Gisborne who would benefit from having more time to complete works, adding that the region should either be included in the scope of the Order in Council or a new Order should be created.
“This would enable Tairāwhiti’s recovery to be progressed in parallel with Hawke’s Bay,” Sands says. “There are horticultural businesses in the region that still need significant work, including removing silt, contouring silt that will not remain on the property and digging drains.”
“We are concerned, however, that the potential for council cost recovery would impose a financial burden on communities that are already under huge post-cyclone financial pressures,” Sands adds.
While growers have been resilient and made a strong recovery since the cyclone, some recovery works are still yet to be done and Sands says this regulation would make that process easier for people who have already been through a lot.
New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.
For Wonky Box co-founder Angus Simms, the decision to open the service to those in rural areas is a personal one.
The golden age of orcharding in West Auckland was recently celebrated at the launch of a book which tells the story of its rise, then retreat in the face of industry change and urban expansion.
Everyone from experienced veterinarians and young professionals to the Wormwise programme and outstanding clinics have been recognised in this year’s New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) awards. As part of a series looking at this year’s rural winners, Leo Argent talked with Ginny Dodunski, winner of the Veterinary Impact Award for raising the profile of the Wormwise programme.
OPINION: The appendage swinging contest between the US and China continues, with China hitting back with a new rate of…
OPINION: The irony of President Trump’s tariff obsession is that the worst damage may be done to his own people.