Prosecution initiated over piggery effluent discharges
Waikato Regional Council is taking Te Aroha piggery farm to court following an investigation into the discharge of effluent into a stream.
New tax breaks that will contribute to protecting water quality have been welcomed by a regional council.
From this month, riparian plantings by farmers are tax deductible as an operational expense instead of being classified as capital expenditure.
A change to the Income Tax Act explicitly allows deductions for plantings to "prevent or mitigate discharges into water courses or water bodies". The provision is available to trees, shrubs and other plantings.
The Government says the new measure will encourage farmers to plant trees and shrubs in riparian strips along creeks and rivers, thereby increasing natural habitat and reducing the amount of sediment and nutrients entering waterways.
Waikato Regional Council catchment services group manager Scott Fowlds says the council, its partner iwi and stakeholders have a strong focus on protecting water quality in the region.
So the Government's new tax rules are a welcome addition to measures supporting this, he says.
"The council itself already offers grants of up to 35%t of the cost of fencing off waterways and riparian plantings on farms in priority catchments."
For more advice on planting and fencing issues, contact a council land management officer on 0800 800 401 or visit www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/forfarmers
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford is claiming “some real success” on the 12 policy priorities it placed before the Coalition Government.
Federated Farmers is throwing its support behind the Fast-track Approvals Bill introduced by the Coalition Government to enable a fast-track decision-making process for infrastructure and development projects.
The latest report from ANZ isn’t good news for sheep farmers: lamb returns are forecast to remain low.
Divine table grapes that herald the start of a brand-new industry in Hawke’s Bay have been coming off vines in Maraekakaho.
In what appears to be a casualty of the downturn in the agricultural sector, a well-known machinery brand is now in the hands of liquidators and owing creditors $6.6 million.
One of New Zealand’s deepest breeder Jersey herds – known for its enduring connection through cattle with the UK’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II – will host its 75th anniversary celebration sale on-farm on April 22.