M.I.A.
OPINION: The previous government spent too much during the Covid-19 pandemic, despite warnings from officials, according to a briefing released by the Treasury.
Farmers and lifestyle block owners in the Otago and Southland regions are being asked to avoid lighting fires until lockdown is over, to reduce risk to firefighters.
Southland’s principal rural fire officer Timo Bierlin says even well controlled burns will cause issues at present, because people see the smoke and dial 111 in the belief they are reporting an escaped fire.
Brigades will always turn out to 111 calls and have the protective gear and procedures to do this safely.
“But we would like our firefighters to stay safe in their bubbles and not have to respond to avoidable fires just now,” says Bierlin.
Strong nor-westerly winds are forecast across Otago and Southland today and into tomorrow, which would elevate the risk of any planned land management fires getting out of control.
Crews have already responded to four vegetation fires in the region since lockdown began, and Timo Bierlin is keen to avoid any more while the region remains in COVID alert level four.
"We understand that many people will be using their time to get on with projects around the property and this might normally mean farmers clearing vegetation or people lighting a fire to get rid of greenwaste. We just ask that people do the right thing and hold off burning until we get out of lockdown."
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
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.
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