Expensive pet food!
OPINION: Your canine crusader was staggered to learn that an investigation by the Taxpayers' Union has revealed that taxpayers and Otago ratepayers have forked out more than $2.76 million to kill just... 18 wallabies!
The Government’s Jobs for Nature funding is being made available to conservation groups and landowners, says Minister for Conservation Kiri Allan.
The move has been made in an attempt to boost local biodiversity-focused projects.
It is estimated the fund will create more than 400 jobs with opportunities in ecology, restoration, trapping, pest control, fencing and project management through a $34 million funding boost.
An $18 million dedicated Private Land Biodiversity Fund will be made available to established organisations that support groups of private landowners to work together to protect and restore habitats that safeguard populations of native species on private land.
“We know many farmers value and are active in managing biodiversity on their farms, and this fund provides the opportunity to support groups of landowners to expand biodiversity projects while also providing jobs,” Allan says.
$16 million has been set aside for a Community Conservation Fund designed to be used by community-led conservation projects on public and private lands.
“This approach will help established community groups scale up their projects, take their conservation goals to the next level and provide great employment opportunities for locals.”
“This is not only a big win for biodiversity on private and public land, it is also a big win for local communities and their post-Covid economic revival,” Allan says.
The investment is part of the $1.245 billion Jobs for Nature Covid-19 recovery package aimed at providing nature-based job opportunities for 1000 people over the next four years.
Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.
Shipping disruption caused by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea has so far not impacted fertiliser prices or supply on farm.
The opportunity to spend more time on farm while providing a dedicated service for shareholders attracted new environmental manager Ben Howden to work for Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL).
Federated Farmers claims that the Otago Regional Council is charging ahead unnecessarily with piling more regulation on rural communities.
Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.
OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.