Foot-in-mouth
OPINION: The Hound hears from his canine pals in Southland that an individual's derogatory remarks on social media have left them wishing they had kept their mouth firmly closed.
More roads have been closed because of flooding throughout the Southland District.
They are:
Rakahouka Hedgehope Road between Yorke and Factory Rd (Hedgehope end) will remain closed until tomorrow at least and South Hillend Road to Dipton Road near the Taringatua Camp and Waiarikiki Road, Waiarikiki, are still both closed as well.
All of these roads are likely to remain closed overnight.
Ellis Road is now open and passable with care. Riversdale Waikaia Road is passable with care. Particular care needs to be taken around the Freshford Area. Pyramid Waiparu Road is passable with care
Other roads throughout Southland have also been affected by flooding so caution is needed. Drivers need to take care because there may be road surface damage in places, even in areas where the water has already receded.
For state highway conditions, please check www.nzta.govt.nz and for further general roading updates check www.aa.co.nz
Fewer bobby calves are heading to the works this season, as more dairy farmers recognise the value of rearing calves for beef.
The key to a dairy system that generates high profit with a low emissions intensity is using low footprint feed, says Fonterra program manager on-farm excellence, Louise Cook.
Rural retailer Farmlands has reported a return to profitability, something the co-operative says shows clear progress in the second year of its five-year strategy.
According to a new report, the Safer Rides initiative, which offered farmers heavily discounted crush protection devices (CPDs) for quad bikes, has made a significant impact in raising awareness and action around farm vehicle safety.
OPINION: In the past weeks, much has been said and written about one of New Zealand's greatest prime ministers, James Brendan Bolger, who died just a few months after his 90th birthday.
Following recent storms in the region, the 69th edition of the Tour of Southland cycling event has been postponed.

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