RWNZ chief executive to step down
Rural Women New Zealand (RWNZ) chief executive Gabrielle O’Brien will step down at the end of June.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that Auckland will stay in COVID-19 Alert Level 3 until 11:59pm 30 August.
The rest of the country will remain at Alert Level 2.
Ardern’s announcement follows a Cabinet meeting today and the advice of Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield.
The lockdown was originally aimed at ending at midnight on Wednesday.
Ardern says the Government wants confidence and certainty before moving Auckland down to Alert Level 2. She says this will require falling numbers and clear evidence the cluster is being circled.
Ardern says with Bloomfield's guidance, such confidence and certainty could be achieved this week.
She says restrictions on mass gatherings will remain in Auckland on Monday, even if it moves down to Level 2.
The rest of the country will remain at Level 2 for another week.
She says these two settings will be reviewed by Sunday 6 September, one week from the extension ending.
Masks will also be required at Level 2 and above levels on public transport from Monday.
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.
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