NZ Local Government Reform: Regional councils axed, CTBs proposed
The biggest reform of local government in more than 35 years is underway.
Federated Farmers national board member Chris Lewis will leave at the organisation's annual meeting in Auckland this July.
Chris Lewis, a Feds national board member and spokesman on immigration and labour issues for the past two years, will leave at its annual meeting in Auckland early July.
He is one of two high profile Feds leaders to call it quits. Another board member and spokesman on water and biodiversity, Chris Allen, is also stepping down.
Lewis says stepping down a year before his three-year term ends should also help the incoming board members.
"Both Chris Allen and I thought the right thing is to stand down this year and let two new people in this year," he says.
Federated Farmers will hold its board elections next year when president Andrew Hoggard will step down at the end of his three year term.
The Government is set to announce two new acts to replace the contentious Resource Management Act (RMA) with the Prime Minister hinting that consents required by farmers could reduce by 46%.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change would be “a really dumb move”.
The University of Waikato has broken ground on its new medical school building.
Undoubtedly the doyen of rural culture, always with a wry smile, our favourite ginger ninja, Te Radar, in conjunction with his wife Ruth Spencer, has recently released an enchanting, yet educational read centred around rural New Zealand in one hundred objects.
Farmers are being urged to keep on top of measures to control Cysticerus ovis - or sheep measles - following a spike in infection rates.
The avocado industry is facing an extremely challenging season with all parts of the supply chain, especially growers, being warned to prepare for any eventuality.

OPINION: Your old mate welcomes the proposed changes to local government but notes it drew responses that ranged from the reasonable…
OPINION: A press release from the oxygen thieves running the hot air symposium on climate change, known as COP30, grabbed your…