120 years through thick and thin
2025 marks 120 years of FMG Advice and Insurance in New Zealand's rural communities.
Insurers say they are actively supporting customers impacted by the heavy rain in Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough. Photo Credit: Cherie Chubb.
AMI, State and NZI Insurance say they are actively supporting customers impacted by the heavy rain in Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough last week.
Staff have been made available at the Nelson Community Hub at the Trafalgar Centre to help AMI, State, NZI, NAC, Lumley, Lantern, ASB, Bank of New Zealand, Westpac, and the Co-operative Bank customers with claims and general insurance support.
The hub has been open since 8.30am last Friday .
As of 8am 22 August, 563 claims have been received, with more likely to follow once customers are able to return home to the worst affected areas.
Many customers have reported damage from water ingress and flooding to their homes and property, with reports of flooded vehicles as well.
Assessors have been on the ground since Friday and are making contact with the most impacted customers to review the extent of the damage.
While the Nelson and Tasman regions appear to be the worst affected, the insurers have also received claims in Northland, Auckland, Taranaki, Wellington and Marlborough for landslips and flood damage.
Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell has resigned after eight years in the role.
Matt McRae, a farmer from Mokoreta in Southland who runs a sheep, beef and dairy support business alongside a sheep stud, has been elected to the Beef +Lamb NZ Board as a farmer director.
Ravensdown's next evolution in smart farming technology, HawkEye Pro, was awarded the Technology Section Award at the Southern Field Days Farm Innovation Awards in February 2026.
While mariners may recognise a “dog watch” as a two-hour shift on a ship, the Good Dog Work Watch is quite a different concept and the clever creation of Southland siblings Grace (9) and Archer Brown (7), both pupils at Riverton Primary School.
Philip and Lyneyre Hooper of the Hoopman Family Trust have tonight been named the Taranaki Regional Supreme Winners at the Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
We are not a bunch of sky cowboys. That was one of the key messages from the chairperson of the NZ Agricultural Aviation Association (NZAAA) Kent Weir, speaking at an education day at Feilding aerodrome for 25 policymakers and regulators from central and local government and other rural professionals.

OPINION: Election years are usually regarded as the silly season, but a mate of the Hound reckons 2026 is shaping…
OPINION: If farmers poured just a few litres of some pollutant into a stream, the Green Party and the wider…