Recovery on the West Coast
Dairy farmers in the Buller region of the South Island are at last making progress getting their properties up and running following the devastating floods that hit them in February.
The Government has activated Enhanced Taskforce Green (ETFG) in response to flooding in the Buller and southern Tasman districts.
“The recent flooding has been a significant and adverse event damaging farms, homes, roads and bridges,” says Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni.
“Part of the Government’s wider response to the recovery is making funding available so that local councils or other authorised agencies can hire job seekers to help with the clean-up,” says Sepuloni.
She says the funding will help farmers complete clean-up work on their properties, including clearing debris.
“Across the West Coast and southern Tasman districts, damage assessments are being carried out. The Ministry of Social Development will work with agencies to make sure Enhanced Task Force Green assistance is provided as soon as possible to farmers in need of this support.”
On 13 February, the Government contributed $300,000 to support the region to recover from recent weather events.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor classified the severe weather as a medium-scale adverse event for the West Coast and Top of the South, unlocking $200,000 of Government support for farmers and growers.
Emergency Management Minister Kiritapu Allan announced $100,000 for the Mayoral Relief Fund to support Buller District residents, nothing the Government was on standby to provide further relief as needed.
Farmers and growers can self-register for clean-up help by contacting the Flood Recovery Coordinator on 027 394 6149.
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.
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.
According to the most recent Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, farmer confidence has inched higher, reaching its second highest reading in the last decade.
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.