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OPINION: The proverbial has really hit the fan in Wellington and exposed a glaring example of a double standard in environmental accountability.
Your old mate can only imagine the uproar if a dairy farmer had pumped raw effluent into a local waterway, even by accident.
They'd be crucified by the powers that be and the media for resource consent breaches, investigations would follow and criminal charges would be laid.
Karl Dean, Federated Farmers dairy chair, is asking will we see the same scrutiny of publicly managed infrastructure?
Will the manager of the wastewater treatment plant be held personally responsible?
Will Wellington's mayor, councillors or chief executive be held accountable?
And will enforcement action against the council be taken?
Dean reckons it's fair to answer the answer will probably be a resounding no.
OPINION: If farmers poured just a few litres of some pollutant into a stream, the Green Party and the wider wooden bicycle enthusiast community would be on their soapboxes screaming about dirty farmers and demanding a harsh penalty, which regional authorities would be gagging to administer.
Labour supply, and not geopolitical events, remains New Zealand dairy farmers' biggest worry, says Federated Farmers dairy chair Karl Dean.
The Commerce Commission has finalised new information disclosure requirements for local councils and water organisations that deliver water supply and wastewater services.
OPINION: This month Wellington’s Moa Point wastewater treatment plant failed catastrophically, sending an estimated 70 million litres of untreated sewage straight into the ocean each day.
Buying or building a rural or semi-rural property? Make sure you know where the wastewater goes, says Environment Canterbury.
Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) has released its 2026 election manifesto, outlining priorities to support the sector’s growth, resilience, and contribution to New Zealand’s food security and export revenue.
Farmers have voted to continue the Milksolids Levy that funds DairyNZ.
Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell has resigned after eight years in the role.
Matt McRae, a farmer from Mokoreta in Southland who runs a sheep, beef and dairy support business alongside a sheep stud, has been elected to the Beef +Lamb NZ Board as a farmer director.
Ravensdown's next evolution in smart farming technology, HawkEye Pro, was awarded the Technology Section Award at the Southern Field Days Farm Innovation Awards in February 2026.
While mariners may recognise a “dog watch” as a two-hour shift on a ship, the Good Dog Work Watch is quite a different concept and the clever creation of Southland siblings Grace (9) and Archer Brown (7), both pupils at Riverton Primary School.
OPINION: Election years are usually regarded as the silly season, but a mate of the Hound reckons 2026 is shaping…
OPINION: If farmers poured just a few litres of some pollutant into a stream, the Green Party and the wider…
