Bremworth launches $6M expansion of cyclone-damaged Napier plant
Listed carpet manufacturer, Bremworth is undertaking a $6 million expansion at its Napier plant more than two years after the site was heavily damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle.
It's still taking some farmers around the Northern Hawke's Bay town of Wairoa twice as long to get to Gisborne or Wairoa because the bridge across the Te Reinga river is still not fixed.
Wairoa mayor Craig Little, who is also a farmer, is frustrated at the delays in repairing the bridge, which affects farmers around the settlement of Ruakituri.
Little told Rural News the journey to Gisborne would normally take under an hour, but for large trucks and trailers it's taking over two hours.
"It's coming up to Christmas and people in this community need certainty and they can't see ahead of themselves because of the delays. They can't carry on like this dealing with delay after delay."
Little says other farms now have road access, but again in many cases detours are the norm and this is hard on farmers, their stock and the trucks going into rural areas. He adds that such detours are adding cost - especially to sheep farmers who are facing much lower prices for their stock.
Recent heavy rains hit the region in the past weeks and the main road south from Wairoa to Napier was closed for about a day - again adding to the stress of the local communities. This rain also hit townships and Little says more houses were red stickered.
But for farmers like Little who spend time off the farm attending to other businesses, the weekends are not a time to relax. They are still busy repairing fences damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle and other events.
"In my case it isn't necessarily large areas of fencing that need to be fixed - often it's smaller sections of a few metres and this is time consuming."
Fresh produce grower and exporter T&G Global has overturned last year’s dismal performance by reporting a half year net profit of $1.7 million.
One of New Zealand’s largest fertiliser plants could be forced to shut down for four months as uncertainty looms over gas supply.
Federated Farmers North Canterbury president Bex Green says two public meetings held this week should have made it loud and clear that rural families and businesses are concerned about proposed staffing changes at NZ Police.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is consulting on a proposal to ban weedkillers containing chlorthal-dimethyl (DCPA).
August 6 marks Farm Worker Appreciation Day, a moment to recognise the dedication and hard mahi of dairy farm workers across Aotearoa - and DairyNZ is taking the opportunity to celebrate the skilled teams working on its two research farms.
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