Emergency Response Underway as Cyclone Vaianu Impacts North Island
While Cyclone Vaianu remains off the East Coast of New Zealand, the Waikato Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group says impacts have been felt overnight.
OPINION: This old mutt has been around for a few years now and it seems these ‘once in 100-year’ weather events are occurring nearly every year.
That doesn’t deter the old “I’ve seen worse, back in my day” comments, but tell that to the poor buggers that have to clean up the mess, year after year.
And that’s the only real silver lining here – seeing how Kiwi communities, particularly in remote rural areas like the recently-hammered Far North, pull together, look after each other and get on with what needs to be done to protect lives, then restore farms and properties when the sun finally reappears.
The Northland Civil Defence chairman rightly praised local coastal communities, saying they were well prepared, worked in with Civil Defence and helped each other out.
The Kiwi Way is alive and well in the provinces!
OPINION: David Seymour and James Meager's plan to make it easier for farmers and orchardists to operate drones can best be described a 'courageous' move.
New Zealand wool is reaching new heights as air filtration companies move away from synthetic products to biodegradable alternatives.
Opuha Dam's ability to protect South Canterbury communities from major flooding has taken a significant step forward, with Opuha Water Limited (OWL) successfully commissioning a new outlet valve capable of releasing record volumes of water from the dam ahead of a weather event.
There's been widespread support from the primary sector for the Government's announcement on changes to freshwater farm plans that come under the Natural Environment Bill, which is now set to replace the existing RMA.
A partnership between state-owned enterprise Pāmu (Landcorp Farming Limited) and charity Meet the Need is putting more than quality New Zealand beef into food bank parcels this year.
The Opportunity Party has faced criticism during the election campaign that its policies are too urban-focused and offer little for rural communities.

OPINION: The same mainstream media muppets that brought you Jacindamania in 2017 have been flat out pimping for the Opportunities…
OPINION: Your old mate reckons the atrocious way farmers in the UK are treated by their lords and masters in…