Fibre broadband expansion to 95% of NZ gets green light – a win for rural connectivity
The Infrastructure Commission has endorsed a plan by Chorus to expand fibre broadband to 95% of New Zealand much to the delight of rural women.
The director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) says the UN has a role to play in leveraging the power of digital technologies.
In an address to a High-Level United Nations Dialogue on the Progress and Future of Digital Cooperation, QU Dongyu noted that agriculture is one of the world’s biggest challenges, because digitally rural areas are lagging behind, adding that it is time to bridge the digital gap between urban and rural areas.
“Digitalisation is reshaping our world at its very core, and is having a deep impact on our societies and economies, and our mindsets,” he said, stressing that digitization may have a significant positive impact on agrifood systems transformation to make them more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable.
However, he pointed out that new emerging issues related to safe and ethical use of digital agriculture should be taken into consideration.
This is crucial “to ensure a holistic perspective and an open, free and secure digital future for all as outlined by the Global Digital Compact and other key UN led initiatives towards which we are working together”.
He reiterated FAO’s commitment to continue working closely with all stakeholders in an efficient, effective, and coherent manner to establish a global digital ecosystem to address global challenge.
The session was part of the UN’s World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) which brought together UN leaders to present their respective mandates within the WSIS process and their perspectives on digital for development.
Rural contractors will be able to play a role in the revamped agricultural plastic recycling scheme with new regulations due for Cabinet signoff before this year’s election.
Farm workers living in accommodation provided by their employers are now set to be able to access their KiwiSaver funds to buy their first home thanks to a pending change in the rules governing KiwiSaver.
Treat agricultural emissions differently. That’s the message from the chair of the prestigious Riddet Institute, Sir Lockwood Smith.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand Inc and Pacific Toyota have pulled the covers off the season's most unique performance vehicle - The Lamb Cruiser.
The 2026 New Zealand Horticulture Conference is set to see more than 900 growers, employers, service providers and industry stakeholders gather in Wellington in July.
New Zealand's longest running television programme, the iconic Country Calendar, celebrated its 60th birthday in style in Wellington last week.

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