RWNZ chief executive to step down
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) chief executive Gabrielle O’Brien will step down at the end of June.
The Government is spending $28 million to redeploy almost 300 forestry workers.
The scheme is part of a $100 million package to redeploy workers affected by the economic impact of COVID-19.
Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford says COVID-19 is having a significant impact on workers throughout New Zealand, especially forestry workers in Tairāwhiti.
“Forestry was one of the first industries to be seriously impacted by COVID-19 but by keeping the infrastructure and workforce of the sector intact, we hope it will be one of the first to recover,” says Twyford.
The announcement comes on the same day as Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announcing that Tairāwhiti’s wood processing sector will receive funding through the Provincial Growth Fund of $12.1 million.
Alternative work identified for Tairāwhiti forestry workers includes:
• local roading work, including road maintenance
• hazardous tree removal
• fast-tracked One Billion Trees projects
• conservation activities
• retraining and educational opportunities.
The Tairāwhiti package will be administered through the Provincial Development Unit in partnership with the Mayors’ Forum and Gisborne District Council. Affected workers will be referred via the Ministry of Social Development’s Rapid Response Team and affected businesses.
Jones says forestry accounts for 6.7% of regional GDP in the Tairāwhiti economy, however a recent slow-down has meant that the sector is low on cash reserves.
“The sector was just recovering from a slow-down over last winter. Many small firms used their cash reserves to get them through that and some companies are now struggling to survive.
“However, the future for the forestry sector is extremely bright and we want to ensure it is in a position to recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19 as quickly as possible. By redeploying workers to short-term projects, we can help ensure they are available to go back to the forestry sector once it returns to normal,” says Jones.
The country’s 4200 commercial fruit and vegetable growers will vote from May 14 on a new HortNZ levy.
Meat processor Alliance Group is asking farmer shareholders to inject more capital in order to remain a 100% co-operative.
A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.
Dairy
Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.
Telco infrastructure provider Chorus says that it believes all Kiwis – particularly those in the rural areas – need access to high-speed, reliable broadband.