Water measuring to allow more efficient measurement:
Environment Minister Amy Adams has welcomed the effective start of new regulations that require for the first time significant water takes to be metered, as part of a wider programme to improve fresh water management.
From tomorrow, all significant water takes (more than 20 litres per second) need to be metered. Smaller water takes down to five litres per second will gradually be covered by the regulations so that by 2016, about 98 per cent of consented water will be measured.
“It is time to get serious about how we use water in this country. It is a replenishable resource but a finite resource at a given time and place,” Ms Adams says. . .
Youth no bar for contractor - Sally Rae:
Geoff Scurr was just 16 when he bought his first bulldozer.
Two years later, the hard-working East Otago teenager bought a contracting business.
He was determined to prove to a few critics, who thought he would never make it work because he was so young, that they were wrong.
Geoff Scurr Contracting Ltd recently celebrated its 25th anniversary with a function at the East Otago Events Centre, attended by several hundred people.
The business now employed six staff, along with casual workers when needed. Forestry work was a major component, along with irrigation dams, installing fibre-optic phone cables, subdivisions, farm work and quarrying. . .
Underlying Strength To Wool Market:
Mr John Dawson, General Manager, New Zealand Wool Services International Limited reports that although the South Island sale saw several categories at slightly lower price levels than last week’s North Island sale, there is still steady demand and a general underlying strength to the market.
Of the 10,362 bales offered this week, which was considerably more than anticipated, 75 percent of the offering sold. The passed-in wools were predominantly lots with inflated grower reserves.
The weighted indicator for the main trading currencies was unchanged compared to the last sale on 1st November. . .
New Zealander to head world dairy organisation:
Dr Jeremy Hill, Director Research Science Technology & Development at Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd, is President-Elect of the International Dairy Federation (IDF); the first New Zealander elected to that role in its 109-year history.
“This is truly a major moment for New Zealand on the world stage,” says Willy Leferink, Federated Farmers Dairy chairperson speaking from the IDF summit in Cape Town.
“Dr Hill will serve a four year term effective from this Friday and is, I believe, the first time a New Zealander has ever headed the world body for the dairy industry. As one of the Kiwis at the IDF we are very, very proud. . . .
88 ENTER DAIRY AWARDS IN FIRST WEEK
Exactly 88 entries have been received in the 2013 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, since entries opened just one week ago.
Entries in the New Zealand Sharemilker/Equity Farmer of the Year, Farm Manager of the Year and Dairy Trainee of the Year are being accepted online at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz. They close on December 20.
Mrs Keeping says there have been 24 entries in the sharemilker/equity farmer contest (up from 18 at the same time last year) and 34 entries in the farm manager contest to date. . .
