Federated Farmers urge government to honour KiwiSaver promise
Federated Farmers is calling on the Government to deliver on its pre-election promise to change the KiwiSaver rules to help young farmers get their foot on the farming ladder.
News that Winstone Pulp International is proposing to cease operations at its two New Zealand mills has been labelled as ‘terrible’ for the Rangitīkei, says the region’s MP Suze Redmayne.
Earlier this month, Winstone Pulp International paused work at its two sites, the Tangiwai Sawmill and the Karioi Pulpmill.
Yesterday, employees were told the company proposed to close the sites indefinitely, citing the high cost of wholesale energy prices.
If the proposal were to go ahead, approximately 230 people would be out of work.
Redmayne says the announcement will be “incredibly tough” for the Ruapehu District community.
“As one of our biggest employers, Winstone Pulp’s closure will have a massive impact on our local families and economy,” she says.
She says the potential job losses underline the importance of affordable housing, reliable energy to the New Zealand economy.
“The Government is moving at pace to reverse Labour’s energy policies that have been disastrous for the country and introduce policies that will ensure Kiwi businesses and households have access to affordable and reliable energy,” Redmayne adds.
“In the meantime my heart goes out to all the staff at Winstone Pulp, and indeed the wider community who share the loss of a great local business which has made a significant contribution to our region for decades,” she concludes.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.
A tiny organism from the arid mountains of mainland Greece is facilitating a new way of growing healthier animals on farms across New Zealand.
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