Otago Regional Council to launch winter flyovers
Otago Regional Council is set to begin its annual winter farm flyovers in the next three weeks.
OPINION: Your canine crusader was staggered to learn that an investigation by the Taxpayers' Union has revealed that taxpayers and Otago ratepayers have forked out more than $2.76 million to kill just... 18 wallabies!
That's a kill cost of $153,000 per wallaby and it's taken 26,000 hours of work.
An OIA by the Taxpayers Union revealed this was just one of the 'Jobs for Nature' projects funded by the Government's Covid slush fund.
Labour dreamt up the 'Jobs for Nature' scheme - and allocated it $1.2 billion in funding - as a 'make work' programme when it feared NZ would see mass job losses as a result of the pandemic.
According to the Taxpayers Union, 'Jobs for Nature' has continued to dish out taxpayer money to ineffective 'conservation' projects at an average cost of around $200,000 per 'job'.
No wonder the country is facing massive fiscal problems when the Government develops silly ideas like this!
OPINION: Trade Minister Todd McClay and the trade negotiator in government have presented Kiwis with an amazing gift for 2026 - a long awaited and critical free trade deal with India.
Former Agriculture Minister Nathan Guy says he's excited about his new role as NZ's Special Agricultural Trade Envoy.
A pillar of New Zealand's horticultural industry, Dr Stuart Davis, was farewelled at a well-attended funeral service in Tuakau, South Auckland, on December 18.
A stable but uncertain year lies ahead for New Zealand primary products, says Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Director General, Ray Smith.
Additional tariffs introduced by the Chinese Government last month on beef imports should favour New Zealand farmers and exporters.
Dairy prices have jumped in the overnight Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction, breaking a five-month negative streak.

OPINION: If the hand-wringing, cravat and bow-tie wearing commentariat of a left-leaning persuasion had any influence on global markets, we'd…
OPINION: With Winston Peters playing politics with the PM's Indian FTA, all eyes will be on Labour who have the…