Feds welcomes health and safety resets
Federated Farmers says the health and safety changes announced this week by the Government represent the start of overdue reforms.
Wild goats, a growing problem for many farmers and landowners, are in the firing line.
The Department of Conservation (DoC) is increasing wild goat control on public conservation land and has partnered with the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association (NZDA) to run a national wild goat hunting competition. The competition is also supported by Federated Farmers and retailer Hunting & Fishing Ltd.
Wild goats are known to cause severe damage to New Zealand’s native plants and habitats. They are also a problem for many private landowners, damaging and destroying fences, pasture, new trees, and riparian plantings. Wild goats are becoming increasingly widespread, with significant numbers in some places.
DoC national biodiversity monitoring shows that the faecal pellet index of deer and goats, a measure used to estimate numbers of animals, at monitored sites across public conservation land rose by 48% between 2013 and 2020.
Ben Reddiex, director national programmes at DoC says the competition provides an excellent opportunity to bring together hunters, farmers, and conservationists to work towards a common goal.
NZDA national vice president Callum Sheridan agrees.
“Hunters spend a lot of time in New Zealand’s remote areas and think looking after the backcountry is important.”
The competition will have a national spot prize pool with over $30k worth of prizes up for grabs, and local prizes with a range of categories. Prizes have been kindly donated by the hunting and outdoor recreation sector.
Competitors will be able to hunt anywhere they have permission through landowner consent or the local authority by permit for public conservation land, forestry, farms, or regional council land.
Competitors need to enter at a NZDA branch open day or at an official recording point. The competition promotes safe, ethical, and humane hunting. Participants are also urged to follow the seven rules of firearms safety and the Animal Welfare Act 1999.
For information on how to enter, the rules, conditions of entry visit: www.doc.govt.nz/wild-goat-hunting-competition
Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.
OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.
DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.
'Common sense' cuts to government red tape will make it easier for New Zealand to deliver safe food to more markets.
Balclutha farmer Renae Martin remembers the moment she fell in love with cows.
Academic freedom is a privilege and it's put at risk when people abuse it.
OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…
OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.