Tuesday, 28 March 2023 10:51

Fun police!

Written by  The Hound

OPINION: Your canine crusader sees that the fun police have struck again and killed off an iconic rural event.

After 20 years of successfully running the iconic Te Kuiti Great NZ Muster - which sees a mob of sheep run through the town to coincide with the NZ Shears and attracts lots of visitors - concerns from the local council about health & safety has led it to can the event.

Waitomo District Council has ruled it can no longer hold the event, citing 'health & safety' concerns.

Mayor John Robertson claimed this was a "shame" but "controlling the sheep has been an issue in the past" and that "times have changed" and council had "reluctantly" opted to close the event for good.

This is despite the fact that the council has conceded not having the event "would be a loss that attracted an array of visitors to Te Kuiti".

More like this

Times have changed

OPINION: Back in the 1960s and '70s, and even into the '80s, successive National government Agriculture Ministers and Trade Ministers were at the top of the cabinet rankings.

Hallelujah moment

OPINION: The new Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche has just had the hallelujah moment of the 21st century in his candid review of the NZ public service.

Waste-watch

OPINION: Media luvvies have pigeon-holed the Taxpayers Union (TPU) as some right-wing lobby, but as far as this old mutt can tell, the TPU focuses on shaming poor behaviour and wasteful spending by those that govern us, no matter who's in power.

Tariff risk

OPINION: Some commentators across the ditch reckon the second Trump administration's anticipated trade protectionism, coupled with China's economic fragility, poses a significant risk for Australia's agricultural export industries.

Drunk on power!

OPINION: The end-of-year booze-up at the posh Northern Club in Auckland must have been a beauty, as the legal 'elite' let their hair down and showed us how entitled and political some in the judiciary really are.

Featured

‘Nanobubble’ trial trims irrigation water usage

North Canterbury dairy farmer and recently-elected deputy chair of DairyNZ, Cameron Henderson, is enjoying a huge reduction in irrigation water use after converting a pivot irrigator to drag perforated drip tubes across the ground instead of elevated sprinkler heads.

Editorial: Elusive India FTA

OPINION: Without doubt, a priority of the Government this year will be to gain traction on the elusive free trade deal with India.

Sport star to talk at expo

Rugby league legend Tawera Nikau is set to inspire, celebrate and entertain at the East Coast Farming Expo's very popular Property Broker's Evening Muster.

National

Sweet or sour deal?

Not all stakeholders involved in the proposed merger of honey industry groups - ApiNZ and Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association…

Machinery & Products

Loosening soil without fuss

Distributed in New Zealand by Carrfields, Grange Farm Machinery is based in the Holderness region of East Yorkshire – an…

JCB unveils new models

The first of the UK’s agricultural trade shows was recently held at the NEC Centre in Birmingham.

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Times have changed

OPINION: Back in the 1960s and '70s, and even into the '80s, successive National government Agriculture Ministers and Trade Ministers…

Hallelujah moment

OPINION: The new Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche has just had the hallelujah moment of the 21st century in…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter