Rural NZ faces shift as copper network deregulation looms
Rural communities say support is required to shift away from the copper network that has been the only source of internet connection for some parts of rural New Zealand.
Rural Women New Zealand recently appointed Gabrielle O'Brient as its new chief executive.
"Gabrielle brings a wealth of experience from her previous general management roles in membership based organisations both in the charitable sector and most recently at the New Zealand Law Society," RWNZ president Gill Naylor says.
"This experience combined with her earlier background human resources management, facilitation and organisation development provide her with a strong background to lead our team through the next phase of our development."
O'Brien says she's looking forward to building on the strong legacy of RWNZ and working to provide the best possible platform for rural women to raise and progress issues that are important to them.
"Our rural communities are an integral part of the social and economic fabric of New Zealand.
"Women play a key role in these communities whether as primary producers, community influencers and connectors, entrepreneurs, educators or in the myriad of other essential professional and social roles they hold."
O'Brien took up her appointment at RWNZ earlier this month.
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.