Foot-in-mouth
OPINION: The Hound hears from his canine pals in Southland that an individual's derogatory remarks on social media have left them wishing they had kept their mouth firmly closed.
Southland’s state of emergency has been extended.
The state of emergency, which includes Fiordland, has been extended until Tuesday 18 February.
The decision was made by at a joint committee meeting, says Emergency Management Southland controller Angus McKay.
Members of all the local councils and other emergency services partners were at the meeting.
“We are still assessing the impact of the floodwaters in many areas in Southland and we have parts of Fiordland that are closed and need to remain so,” says McKay.
A co-ordinated response led by Civil Defence in Southland is still needed at this stage.
“We are working hard to plan the recovery phase and that will happen in due course.”
Southland and parts of Otago were flooded after a bout of heavy rain last week.
Fewer bobby calves are heading to the works this season, as more dairy farmers recognise the value of rearing calves for beef.
The key to a dairy system that generates high profit with a low emissions intensity is using low footprint feed, says Fonterra program manager on-farm excellence, Louise Cook.
Rural retailer Farmlands has reported a return to profitability, something the co-operative says shows clear progress in the second year of its five-year strategy.
According to a new report, the Safer Rides initiative, which offered farmers heavily discounted crush protection devices (CPDs) for quad bikes, has made a significant impact in raising awareness and action around farm vehicle safety.
OPINION: In the past weeks, much has been said and written about one of New Zealand's greatest prime ministers, James Brendan Bolger, who died just a few months after his 90th birthday.
Following recent storms in the region, the 69th edition of the Tour of Southland cycling event has been postponed.

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