Simon Upton urges cross-party consensus on New Zealand environmental goals
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton is calling for cross-party consensus on the country's overarching environmental goals.
OPINION: Your canine crusader finds it ironic that the pompously self-proclaimed ‘champion’ of the provinces and ‘first citizen’ of regional NZ, Shane Jones, is single handedly destroying the regions.
Jones’ obsession with trees is seeing vast swathes of good farmland around NZ being planted in forests and resulting in the loss of people, infrastructure, jobs and services in rural communities up and down the country.
While in opposition Jones and his political master Winston Peters railled against foreign ownership – especially of farmland and meat companies.
However, as soon as Jones and Co put Jacinda into power they outlawed foreigners buying houses and farms but made it easier for overseas interests to buy land for forestry.
Irrigation NZ is warning that the government's Resource Management Act (RMA) reform risks falling short of its objectives unless water use for food production and water storage infrastructure are clearly recognised in the goals at the top of the new system.
More than five million trays, or 18,000 tonnes, of Zespri’s RubyRed Kiwifruit will soon be available for consumers across 16 markets this season.
The Government has announced its support for 18 community-based initiatives through its Rural Wellbeing Fund.
New data shows that pork remains one of the more affordable meat options for New Zealand households at a time when grocery costs continue to put pressure on budgets.
The South Island Dairy Event's BrightSIDE has named Jessica Kilday as the recipient of the BrightSIDE Scholarship, recognising her commitment to furthering her education and future career in the New Zealand dairy industry.
Scientists from the Bioeconomy Science Institute Maiangi Taiao has achieved a successful cocksfoot-ryegrass cross capable of producing fertile seed, a world-first.