increase font size
Alliance chair Murray Taggart says the co-op had been “open and upfront” about the wage subsidy.
Farmer-owned cooperative Alliance Group says it has already returned $17 million of the $34.3 million it claimed from the Covid-19 wage subsidy.
Read: Alliance faces court over subsidy.
In a statement to Rural News, Alliance chairman Murray Taggart said the co-op had been “open and upfront” about the wage subsidy.
“We have been in ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Social Development about the application of the subsidy and stated from the outset that we would return any funds not used to pay people. In line with that commitment, we have returned $17 million of the subsidy.”
Taggart said the company’s application for the wage subsidy was supported and endorsed by the New Zealand Meat Workers Union.
“From the beginning, we have applied the subsidy to the right people in the right way,” he added.
Taggart said Alliance predominantly processes sheep and the nature of its processing means it was more severely affected by the Covid-19 operating restrictions than other companies.
“The support from the Government has meant we were able to maintain the employment of our people and ensure their earnings were not impacted during the Covid-19 lockdown,” he added.
“We were also able to continue paying those people with underlying health conditions or aged over 70 who were unable to work during the lockdown and those on stand-by to cover absenteeism.”
Alliance Group's $16 million programme to install innovative heat pump systems at its Otago and Southland processing plants wins a New Zealand Energy Excellence Award after cutting annual emissions by more than 24,000 tonnes of CO₂e.
Irish meat processor Dawn Meats has acquired Alexander Eyckeler GmbH, a long-standing German customer and partner of Alliance Group, for an undisclosed sum.
Alliance has announced two key appointments within its senior leadership team.
Alliance Group and the Southland Stags rugby team have joined forces in a partnership that will see the the meat co-operative's farmgate brand feature on players' team kits and replica jerseys.
Alliance Group chief executive Willie Wiese is leaving the company after three years in the role.
Opuha Dam's ability to protect South Canterbury communities from major flooding has taken a significant step forward, with Opuha Water Limited (OWL) successfully commissioning a new outlet valve capable of releasing record volumes of water from the dam ahead of a weather event.
There's been widespread support from the primary sector for the Government's announcement on changes to freshwater farm plans that come under the Natural Environment Bill, which is now set to replace the existing RMA.
A partnership between state-owned enterprise Pāmu (Landcorp Farming Limited) and charity Meet the Need is putting more than quality New Zealand beef into food bank parcels this year.
The Opportunity Party has faced criticism during the election campaign that its policies are too urban-focused and offer little for rural communities.
The chair of the country's environmental regulator, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), says changes are already under way to improve the performance of the agency to better meet the needs of those who interface with them.
Alliance Group's $16 million programme to install innovative heat pump systems at its Otago and Southland processing plants wins a New Zealand Energy Excellence Award after cutting annual emissions by more than 24,000 tonnes of CO₂e.
OPINION: The same mainstream media muppets that brought you Jacindamania in 2017 have been flat out pimping for the Opportunities…
OPINION: Your old mate reckons the atrocious way farmers in the UK are treated by their lords and masters in…
