Garrick Batton
No February meeting as farmers are fully occupied with consultations on vital matters including GHGe, water, labour issues and forestry policy -- all against a Covid background.
President Martin O’Connor says that lifestyle farmers in particular needed to check out Federated Farmers Covid support systems and advice.
Covid has again delayed the planned March family day of a clay target shoot at Golden Downs. However, Pop Up Fridays on the last Friday of each month from 11am-2pm (during term time only) in the Brightwater Fire Station boardroom will make Nelson Feds services available to the wider community.
Associates, members, young farmers and also the wider community can come for information, talk their minds, farm happenings, and find avenues of support or exchange ideas.
MoE opened public consultation on proposed changes to the National Environmental Standards for sources of Human Drinking Water with the website open for submissions until March 6 nesdw.consultation@mfe.govt.nz.
These have three levels of “source water risk management areas” that feed drinking water supplies, with stringent controls on activities in the immediate area around the source water take, and controlling highest-risk activities in a larger area, plus regulating the entire catchment.
This is not to be confused with the Water Services Act Acceptable Solutions proposals discussed in a separate article with submissions open until March 28.
Or confused with Three Waters reforms for service delivery, with council-operated infrastructure and services to be consolidated into four multi-regional, publicly-owned water entities, with local iwi to be involved in governance.
