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Bay of Plenty and Waikato Farm, Orchard and Rural Lifestyle News

May 2011

PH (07) 578 0030

Issue No. 129

Cracking the market

Both sides of the fence The wildlife haven on Maungatautari is under threat as a dispute continues over a change in the governance structure of the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust board. Landowners have locked their gates and they say an ultimatum to take the fence off their land is imminent.

The full story, inside.

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COAST & COUNTRY

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Coast & Country

Agriculture industry booming says John Key The agricultural industry is booming according to Prime Minister John Key, who told dairy farmers at the large herd conference in Rotorua he expected them to start spending again very soon.

It will be a welcome statement for exhibitors at the National Agricultural Fieldays which is just around the corner. Read more from the PM in our Fieldays preview.

This month, I grabbed the opportunity to sample some feijoas and find out about the feijoa industry, which has just sent its first trays of fruit to be sampled on the Singapore market.

Writer Sue Edmonds travelled to Rotorua to learn about the latest plans to improve the water quality of lakes and was one of 500 who turned up to an effluent field day in Hamilton.

This month we are launching a new feature – Hunt, Fish, Eat. Read about the Polaris Big Four competition – a team effort to bag the biggest stag, boar, trout and pheasant.

Until next month, happy duck shooting and get your teams entered in the Big Four comp.

Wine devotion to China Roy Johnson of Tolaga Bay Wines is devoting his life to getting the Chinese to drink our white wine.

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“I am on a one man crusade to export white wine to China.

At present I am talking to four different Chinese importers and devoting the rest of my life to getting the Chinese to drink our white wine,” says 66-yearold Roy Johnson of Tolaga Bay Wines in Gisborne.

Roy and Sue Johnson are owners of Sunrise Estate of which Tolaga Bay Wines are a subsidiary and are already exporting to the United Kingdom, United States and the south of France.

Wine imports into China have grown significantly over the last few years and with a growing middle class with higher incomes, several wine producing countries are trying to get their wines accepted there.

France has the major share of the market with their red wines, which the Chinese are more familiar with.

“The French colonised China about 200 years ago so the Chinese think that red wine is the only wine to buy, but what would you rather have with your chicken chow mein or prawns and shrimps, a quality New Zealand white wine,” says Roy.

The white wines Roy wants to export to China are muscat, unoaked chardonnay and lightly oaked chardonnay.

The recently released Rabobank Quarterly report states the growth in wine consumption in China is phenomenal. Wine imports into China totalled almost 150 million litres in 2010 and now represent about 10 per cent of the Chinese grape wine market.

“For the New Zealand market to catch up with the French wine market in China there will have to be a significant investment in consumer and trade education to drive changes in long-term consumer behaviour and a concerted effort to strengthen relationships with Chinese distributors,” says Rabobank senior analyst Marc Soccio.

The New Zealand vintage currently underway is running ahead of schedule and fruit quality looks very good.

Reports indicate the crop should well exceed last year’s 265,000 tonnes with the possibility of passing the 300,000 tonne mark.

It would be very hard for the Chinese wine consumers to resist a quality Gisborne white wine produced by a vineyard which is the first place in the world to see the sun, says Roy. “I’m pretty confident.”

By Helen Wilson

COAST & COUNTRY

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Page 3

Fears for Maungatautari reserve fence Calls of the kiwi, kaka, and takahe are being drowned out by arguments over the governance of the Maungatautari reserve and the pest proof fence that protects it is at risk.

Gifted land

Peter says he gifted land to the project where his grandfather built a dam in 1927.

“It’s my grandfather’s land. It’s very sentimental to me – it’s hard to give it away.

“I would possibly give it to New Zealand, but not to a polarised group like Ngati Koroki Kahuhura because I don’t trust them – I don’t trust what they would do with the land.”

Maungatautari is also the subject of a Treaty of Waitangi claim which is expected to see more land in the reserve gifted to Maori.

Karaitiana Tamatea and Tony Wilding, co-chairs of the MEIT interim executive board have written to the Landowners Council assuring them that on “advice that MEIT has received to date is that, while title may be vested in Tangata Whenua, Maungatautari will retain its reserve status”.

They have asked the landowners to meet with them to discuss an independent review of the processes used to change the governance processes, purchase of their land, or giving MEIT the time to erect a replacement fence on reserve land.

“We find your threat to remove surveillance monitoring from the fence crossing four properties astounding and extremely sad given that doing so will destroy a decade of hard work from hundreds of volunteers, including work done by the other 24 landowners who do not share your views.

“MEIT acknowledges and fully accepts your right to do as you please on your private property, however, having previously agreed to have the fence on your property, we respectfully suggest that you have voluntarily entered into a commitment not just with MEIT, but with all those people who have given so much to the project.”

Lance Hodsen, trustee from the outset on the Maungatautari Trust Board, says the trust would “love to sit down with Peter Holmes and Warren Charleston to come to an agreement on how to move forward”.

“This is an interim structure at the moment, which is not set in stone and we are happy to negotiate.

“The trust has sent out invitations to come to meetings and have attempted to negotiate with Warren and Peter to no avail.”

Lance says the trust has options which they believe would resolve the issues.

“There has to be some give and take on both parts and we are well aware of that.”

The Maungatautari Landowners Council has met with Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson on the issue.

Peter says Ngati Koroki Kahuhura has to back off and go back to a tri-part agreement.

“We have to thrash out the ownership of the mountain, which can only be done by central government and then we will unlock our gates.”

The Muru family, who own the land that the main southern entrance walkway goes through, are also trying to restrict access.

Muru family is huge and they want the right compliance set in place.

Former MEIT trustee and landowner Selwyn Mackinder is selling his farm because he is fed up with the politics and doesn’t want to watch the demise of such a great project.

“We’ve seen the fence go up and we’ve seen the difference,” says Selwyn.

“It would be a tragedy if anything

was to happen. “I would like to believe that it will be solved with good will on both sides – because I can show you takahe who don’t give a stuff (about the politics).”

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The fence, which boundaries the 3400ha wildlife haven, is under threat owing to a disagreement over the governance structure of the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust.

Landowners are on the verge of giving an ultimatum in the argument, with their penalty for non-compliance the pulling down of the fence.

The dispute started when the governance structure of the trust was changed to a two-tiered model – made up of a guardian group of stakeholder representatives evenly split between landowners, iwi and volunteers – with an operational board of six; three iwi and three non-iwi.

The heart of the Maungatautari project has always been the goodwill and the partnership of landowners, iwi and the community – something which is now fast deteriorating, along with the fence, putting the wildlife at risk to pests.

The landowners, trustees and iwi (Ngati Koroki Kahuhura), all unanimously pronounce their support for the project, yet negotiations on how to proceed are not forthcoming.

Several landowners, who on a handshake, gifted land to the other side of the fence to be part of the reserve, have locked their gates and cut off surveillance videos to stop access onto their properties. They are now saying the fence must be taken down or shifted if the governance does not go back to a three-tier structure.

Shifting the fence is an uneconomical and impractical solution, however, says landowner Peter Holmes.

“The tough thing is I don’t know where they are going to put it.

“The fence couldn’t be put in a lot of places because of the terrain or water supply – that’s why it was put where it is, over our land,” says Peter.

“We said to put it through our land and we expected to be treated with respect.

“Ngati Koroki Kahuhura is saying they had 50-50 in the first place, they’ve never had that. Land owners like us would never have agreed to the fence on that basis,” says Peter.

“Tao Tauroa said at the meeting ‘it’s our way or no way’ – I heard him say that. Everyone was bullrushed into making that decision that night.”

Peter and neighbour Warren Charleston are now warning other landowners across New Zealand about their property rights.

“It’s a frightening thing to landowners. Don’t go near it to start with unless it’s in concrete. There is no respect for landowners,” says Warren.

Temporary injunction

They have a temporary injunction against Willie Te Aho from going on the property and say they will be filing an injunction against MEIT. Rick Muru says he welded the gates shut – only to have Ngati Koroki Kahuhura “smash it open”.

Rick says he has shut off public access because of concerns his whanau could be held liable if anyone gets injured.

Family advisor Graham Cullen says the liability issue for the

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COAST & COUNTRY

Page 4

Coast & Country

Feijoas reach Singapore shores New Zealand feijoa growers are trying to crack the Singapore market with Whakatane growers Rob and Mary Jessop providing one third of the first 150 trays sent there.

They were sent to boutique-style shops, where free sampling was set up for people to try the fruit.

An Australian buyer, based in Singapore, approached the growers to sample feijoas on the Asian market.

The versatility of the feijoa is going to push demand up and expand other export market potential for the unique fruit says Rob. There are currently about 200 feijoa growers in New Zealand producing between 500 and 1000 tonnes annually, with 400-500 tonnes going to pulp.

There are five main growers who export from New Zealand who collectively export 25-50 tonnes of feijoas – 80 per cent of exports go to Australia.

“We feel the market for feijoas is just starting to come into its own,” says Rob. “We think it’s going to surpass the kiwifruit.

“The antioxidents are really high and you can do so much with them.

“The export market is starting to grow again; for every carton we have sent there is sale for it – the demand is there.”

New Zealand Feijoa Growers Association president Tim Harper says they are promoting feijoas in the United States and Australia, which are the two main export markets. Exports are limited because of air freight prices as the fruit would spoil if it was shipped.

“Growing the export market is the main thing we are working on at the moment,” says Tim. “We are working on marketing strategies, flyers, in-store tasting.”

Tim says New Zealanders don’t know how lucky they are.

Feijoas are only grown in abundance in New Zealand and South America, with Brazil being the main export competitor to New Zealand.

Because of the limitations else-

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where, other countries have to be shown and taught how to eat the fruit.

“The populations haven’t got a taste for them,” says Tim. “We have to teach people to scoop and eat them – that’s the first thing.”

Then it’s teaching them all the things you can do with the fruit, although Tim says they are working on educating New Zealanders more too.

“They are as versatile as apples and bananas – they can be used in any dish bananas are used in.

“People use them to make wines, ciders, fruit juices, ice creams – there are a few really nice schnapps. There is even feijoa beer.”

Tim says he hopes the export market grows more and if their marketing works they are going to need growers.

“It’s made a lot of people look a lot harder at feijoas.”

He says with suburban growth, New Zealanders don’t tend to have the traditional feijoa tree in their backyard anymore.

“Traditionally a lot of people had their own feijoa tree – but housing and subdivisions have wiped out a lot of trees.

“You’re going to have to pay for them now.”

Rob and Mary Jessop grow 45 tonnes of feijoas a year on their 1800 trees.

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COAST & COUNTRY

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Fabulous flavours from feijoas “We are probably like what the kiwifruit industry was 20 years ago.�

The price in New Zealand supermarkets varies between $6-10/kg.

Rob says it is uneconomical to take the fruit off their property for less than $1/kg.

The feijoa season lasts from mid-March through until the end of May in a good season, says Tim. “A strong frost will make the fruit go brown early. Two months every year and that’s

all we get. There are no feijoas imported. “Brazil, the only other country who does anything of volume, has the same season as us. “A lot of people, I certainly did, underestimate how labour intensive it is – in pruning and picking. We have to pick for six weeks – not like kiwifruit, who harvest in two days. “So that is more expensive, having to pay for that labour. That’s why it’s always reasonably pricy in supermarkets. It’s the nature of the fruit.�

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Rob says if growers can market the fruit better overseas it will push the local price up.

He says the New Zealand market has probably reached its peak for the moment with prices for the growers without the export market growing further. “Unfortunately the price is no different to what it was 10 years ago.

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COAST & COUNTRY

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Coast & Country

Cheese company over stretched Kaimai Cheese Company has closed its production facility and cafe at Te Mata near Havelock North and the company is ceasing all South Island and export sales.

In a letter to shareholders, chairman Wyatt Creech says while Kaimai, set up at Waharoa in the Waikato in 2005, had a high sales growth rate, the rise in costs including milk, were “forever eroding” the gross margin in the specialty cheese sector for all competitors.

Six staff at the Te Mata plant have lost their jobs and two at the Waharoa dairy factory and cafe, including general manager Sheryn Cook. More redundancies are possible.

Wyatt says production tonnage doubled last year to meet orders, however, manufacturers like Kaimai, which buy milk from Fonterra, do not know the price of that milk until the end of Fonterra’s season.

Kaimai Cheese maker Jason Trevelyan.

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He says milk prices during the last year had leapt, which meant the company had made “incorrect assumptions” about the milk price when entering retail contracts.

The effect of the milk price rise on the bottomline had been “material”.

He says Kaimai will become an artisan $4.5m business with a materially larger portion of its customers in Waikato and Auckland.

The cheese company won medals at the Cuisine New Zealand Champions of Cheese Awards this year, including a silver medal for their bocconcini in the Langham Champion Fresh Unripened Cheese category.

Cheese maker Jason Trevelyan says it was great to improve on their bronze medal from last year.

“It shows we’ve maintained what we’ve been doing and adding value to it,” says Jason.

“It’s not an easy product to make, but we’ve had a few Italians say that they are impressed with what we’ve come up with – and to have it so fresh.”

A popular cheese in Italy – the Kaimai recipe differs because of the taste of New Zealand milk says Jason.

It is made with whole cows milk and is made in a machine which caters for 2000 litres of milk – which converts the milk into half a tonne of bocconcini.

If differs to mozzarella in taste because there is no salt.

“That’s why it has a limited shelf life of 35 days. It’s quite a subtle, mild taste – it has a really unique flavour to it. It is not a heavy product like feta.”

A good bocconcini should be able to stretch out to a full arm’s width without breaking.

“What you can expect to find with bocconcini is that you can peel it – it has a kind of chickenlike texture,” say Jason.

“It’s breakable. It’s stretched and pulled like Mozzarella, then made into little balls.

“I think people are expanding and developing their culinary outlook and are looking for good quality products that aren’t mass produced.”

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Rates problem just gets bigger The high cost of rates continues to trouble farmers, while the overall financial sustainability of what councils are doing remains in the spotlight.

Federated Farmers is presently in the thick of submitting on district and regional council annual plans. Everywhere, as usual, farm rates are going up. We get from many farmers a jaded and disillusioned silence. From others, there are outraged calls as general rates on the family farm blow out.

An article in the February 2011 New Zealand Local Government magazine points to the

parlous state of local government’s finances.

The article maintains 15 to 20 per cent of local authorities are hitting the wall financially, as a result of debt being beyond sustainable maximums, with rates and charges becoming increasingly unaffordable for ratepayers and businesses.

The article points to an alarming financial deterioration in the last ten years, which has arisen from the profligacy of councils, combined with a lack of emphasis on improved performance and financial prudence.

This is disturbing news for farmers reliant on land as their primary production input, as the principle revenue mechanisms of councils are rates on land and capital value. Only property

owners pay this tax called rates and of them, the owners of higher value properties face the real music when ‘hitting the wall’ time comes.

Councils in the Bay of Plenty are not at all immune from this potential train wreck. Farmers are feeling it in Whakatane where, in response to the rates affordability problem, the district council has moved to cut road resealing and hike farm rates. Western Bay of Plenty District Council has proposed cuts to capital expenditure and a new “bond bank” – a debt partnership with eight other councils – in an attempt to reduce interest costs.

The refrain I hear from many farmers is when, or whether, the trend of ballooning farm rates will ever end. Farmers cut spending when things

are tight, yet councils seem bent on rearranging the proverbial deck chairs and we continue to pay the price for that.

Government had a go at the problem back in 2007 with a rates inquiry, which found that, under current practices, rates will not be sustainable in 10 years time. We’re well on the way. Another review, this time initiated by the Minister of Local Government Rodney Hide, is just around the corner.

The cabinet papers underpinning this review, called “smarter government, stronger communities” were publicly released in April and include some astounding debt figures for councils. Be assured, Federated Farmers will be in the thick of that review too.

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The Red Meat Market Development Contestable Fund is a joint initiative between New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and Beef and Lamb, with funding allocated to successful applicants on a 50-50 basis.

“The success of the 2009 Aquaculture Market Development Contestable Fund, which has driven significant innovation and market development in that industry, demonstrates the potential scope for our important red meat sector,” says David.

“Red meat generated around $5 billion in export revenue last year and the government believes a more concerted approach by the industry could considerably lift this figure.” He says the new contestable fund aims to encourage innovative industry-led projects to lift the profitability, competitiveness and sustainable growth of the meat sector.

“This new fund further enhances the government’s Primary Growth Partnership which has so far pledged more than $60 million towards a joint $150 million red meat programme.

It also flags the importance of the Red Meat Sector Strategy Report to be released next week.

“I encourage applications to this contestable fund from businesses that are keen to drive further growth of our important meat sector,” says David.

Applications for the fund, which will be administered by NZTE, close on May 20.

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COAST & COUNTRY

Page 8

Environment relying on landowners Where would the environment be without Landcare groups and their assiduous volunteers?

The Department of Conservation is doing its best, albeit with what seems a constantly shrinking budget, but there are large areas of bush, wetland, peat lakes and regenerating scrub which rely on landowners and groups of volunteers to weed, plant natives and catch predators, so the areas in question and the indigenous plants and birdlife get a chance to continue.

When members of these groups get together for a networking day

and explain just how much is involved in their activities, it fair makes ones eyes pop. There are 42 Landcare Groups operating in the Waikato, alongside 90 other groups working on single focus projects, assisted and sometimes funded, by both regional and district councils.

Negotiations

The QEII National Trust has been negotiating covenants on private land for more than 25 years now, with a total of 3,458 areas, totalling 111,000ha – either signed up or in preparation. The Waikato region has 69 signed up out of 583 being worked on in the region. With stock excluded from such a huge area and each piece surrounded by nice neat fences, the bits inside are finally getting a chance to grow and regenerate.

The Whakaupoko West Franklin

Landcare Group has been going for six years and has spent most of its energies on pest control of possums and rats, as well as monitoring native bird populations such as tui, kereru and fantails. Its efforts have resulted in 70 monitored sites reporting increasing tui, a good population of kereru, but the fantail population seems to be going down. Monitoring is done by use of ‘chew cards’ using peanut butter as bait. The teeth marks made on these direct which pests should be focused on in an area.

The Waikato peat lakes continue to be a focus, with increasingly well-designed sediment traps collecting huge tonnage of silt from surrounding farmlands. There was a lot of talk at the networking day about the need to get all surrounding landowners in agreement and behind each project. Just one

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Ben Wolf of WDC explains the workings of a sediment trap. renegade owner who ploughs right up to fences along drains and waterways, followed by heavy rain, can undo months of work. Andrew Hayes says that at Lake Kaituna they’ve not only had to do a lot of weed work, but the sediment trap there has so far been replaced three times. At Lake Cameron they are continuing the planting programme round the lake and planning more signage for visitors.

Vegetation and wildlife

On the Awhitu Peninsula the area is large, 34,000ha. The main problem is blowing sand which can bury nearby vegetation. The group has focused on creating a ‘mainland island’ which gives vegetation and wildlife a chance. With a large number of properties involved, individual owners are encouraged to set possum bait stations and trap lines.

Hamilton Fish and Game is focussing its efforts on three lakes, Kainui, Serpentine and Koromatua, all of which have their share of maimais along the shorelines.

Up in the Coromandel they still have kiwi in the bush and the Moehau Environment Group, which has been going for ten years, is focused on stoat control

e key.

(with the

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Coast & Country

These new XU Vs surv iv ed ov er 20,000 hours of blist ering real-w orls t est ing in one of t he harshest env ironment s in t he U nit ed St at es.

These new XU Vs surv iv ed ov er 20,000 hours of blist ering real-w orls t est ing in one of t he harshest env ironment s in t he U nit ed St at es.

as well as possums and rats. A sharing system among its members sees monthly checks on 900 baits. Against a national decline in kiwi numbers, the area is getting more kiwi chicks surviving over six months and the group consider they are now seeing 68 per cent of chicks hatched survive past this time. Their area covers more than 1300ha, with 400 landowners involved.

Investigations

To explore what works and what doesn’t for Landcare groups and to record the huge variety of activities being carried out on land under different management regimes, the Waikato Regional Council has contracted Dr Helen Ritchie to investigate and report. After numerous interviews, she is already coming up with many ideas which can be incorporated into guidelines.

A field session at Lake Kainui demonstrated the complexity of building a successful sediment trap. Apparently, if you know the right people to ask, the earthmoving and planting can be cunningly cheap, (around one fifth of the normal contractor cost) demonstrating just how canny volunteers can be.

COAST & COUNTRY

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Page 9

Joint option for carbon credits A new concept to assist farmers to benefit more from the Emissions Trading Scheme was outlined by John Simmons, Waikato Regional Council Biosecurity and Heritgage group manager at the Waikato Executive of Federated Farmers.

Throughout the Waikato region there are many farms which have small patches of reverting scrub or areas which are unsuited or unprofitable for pasture. Planting trees or allowing the scrub to grow on these areas for individual carbon credits is probably not economically feasible and may not be considered worthwhile by farmers. Aggregation of such blocks of probably mainly post-1989 forest,

however, would bring economies of scale to the assessment and registration process, making it simpler and overall cheaper for each farmer and more attractive to be included in such an ETS scheme.

The proposal put forward by John is if a non-commercial body such as the WRC were to facilitate groupings of these small areas so the total area of each group was sufficient to produce economic numbers of credits, then they could be accrued to interest local large emitters to purchase the credits, rather than purchasing credits offshore.

Benefits to farmers

Having big emitters purchasing credits locally has a double whammy effect in that it benefits farmers’ incomes and the funds remain within the region, rather than being spent elsewhere. Local carbon trading platforms are now being created, including one by Westpac.

There is expertise within the WRC to advise farmers on how best to treat unprofitable land

and also the potential influence to attract investors to assist with the costs of planting new forest areas. The concept is aimed at giving farmers confidence to make decisions on land use change and manage risk in a group situation.

There is no intent to push farmers into tree planting, unless they choose to do so.

Flood control

With the plethora of waterways in the Waikato and the multiplicity of small catchment areas, getting more trees and bush into the tops of these catchments can have amazing effects on flood control further down. An example is the Wairoa catchment, where much riparian planting had been done along the banks, only to be washed away in a big flood. A much later potential flood, however, was largely absorbed by the increased amount of forest at the top of the catchment and no damage ensued further down. The proposal could thus be seen as having a bob each way for farmers.

Taumarunui dog TV finalist Two-year-old Jess, a NZ heading dog from Taumarunui, is amongst the top 10 finalists in New Zealand’s Next Tux Dog competition.

The chosen dog will star in the new 2011 Tux TV commercial to follow the ‘pawprints’ of the previous “fit as a fiddle, sharp as a knife� dogs from Tux advertisements.

David Wards, 13, was given Jess as a pup two years ago.

Her tricks include riding in a wheelbarrow, jumping on drums, jumping over sheep yard rails, standing on her hind legs with her paws on the top rail, sitting, staying and mustering sheep.

Her best features are her loyalty, good looks and energy. When the farm car door is open, she likes to race David to the front seat to get the best position and she always wins.

David’s mum Julie says Jess is very much David’s dog. “He spends a lot of time with her and has done all the training himself.�

The judges toured the length of New Zealand visiting and auditioning each dog at its home.

From May 9-29 the public can watch the audition videos and vote at www.tux.co.nz for the finalist they think should be the New Zealand’s Next Tux Dog. The ultimate winner is revealed on June 13.

The10 finalists were chosen from more than 500 entries:: Amazon, a huntaway from Ohakune, Brodie, a border collie from Palmerston North Dixie, a yorkshire terrier from Lower Hutt Harley, a staffordshire bull terrier from Kumeu, Auckland Jay, a collie cross from Tuatapere, Western Southland

Coast & Country has three prize packs to give away thanks to Tux for our readers.

To go in the draw, send us your name and details along with a photo of your best friend to sheryl@thesun.co.nz or PO Box 240, Tauranga. Please include a name, address and phone number with every entry.

Jess, an NZ heading dog from Taumarunui Patrick, a bearded collie from Christchurch Pesh, a jack russell from Beachlands, Auckland Sniper, a boxer from Browns Bay, Auckland Sonny, a golden retriever/border collie cross from New Lynn, Auckland

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Page 10

Coast & Country

Fix a lake and grow a city The Lakes Water Quality Society of Rotorua is determined the twelve lakes it cares about are restored and sustained for future generations.

There must be many others who agree with them if the 250 scientists, planners, environmentalists and farmers who turned up to their last meeting is anything to go by.

While much is being achieved by

various means in the smaller lakes, the one on the doorstep of the city, Lake Rotorua, has still got a long way to go. So the focus this year was on not only lake restoration, but also on how farsighted regional planning can successfully promote growth for the city and the region.

The guest speaker on day one had come all the way from Sweden.

Mayor Bo Frank from the city of Vaxjo proudly talked about it being ‘The Greenest City in Europe’ and what had been done to make

it so. Vaxjo has 85,000 people, is surrounded by 200 small lakes and it used to have a serious pollution problem. The Swedes apparently measure everything and the people are used to accepting regulation and curbs on activities, which has probably helped, but they’ve certainly achieved an amazing amount.

Bo was elected as mayor in 1991 and has been thus ever since.

Sweden operates a decentralised government, with each city being more or less self-contained in gov-

ernance. Running Vaxjo is greatly assisted by the fact that 30 per cent of all income tax generated locally is paid to run local government.

Vaxjo set out to attract creative people, who would offer lateral thinking on how to make a green city work well. They now have 8000 SME companies and a small university known as the Linnaeus University with a focus on sustainability.

All of those 200 lakes and rivers have their own water protection associations caring for them. They recycle everything, with organic waste being collected to run a biogas plant which supplies fuel for the public transport system in the city. There are clear rules on housing, with passive heating and triple glazing to cope with cold Swedish winter weather.

Vaxjo now attracts scientists and ecotourists from everywhere and makes part of its income from selling the knowledge it has accumulated.

Bill Bayfield, the soon to depart CEO of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council,

was forthright in his views on what would be needed for the Rotorua Lakes to be restored. He considers setting targets and creating action plans for each lake to be vital and that each lake needs to be worked on differently, according to its current state and surroundings. The council is trying a number of different systems. These include capping lake beds, such as has been done at Lake Okare, building onshore and floating wetlands, weed harvesting, creating buffer zones and reducing nutrients. The diversion wall built to divert water from Lake Rotorua from reaching Lake Rotoiti is working well, with noticeable reduction in nitrate levels now in Rotoiti. With Lake Rotorua, the problem is still huge.

There are 2000 rural landowners and 50,000ha involved. Bill says he foresees the restoration process taking decades and was adamant land use change, enforced by regulation, would be needed.

By Sue Edmonds

Or grow region to fix the lake Voluntarism won’t work to clean up the lakes in Rotorua and farming and other activities are going to need regulation.

By Sue Edmonds

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This was a commonly expressed view at a Rotorua Lakes symposium by the attending bureaucrats, retired judges and scientists.

Rotorua District Council chief executive Peter Guerin talked about the reorganisation within the council to ensure that “lean thinking” prevailed in order to carry out its roles “better, faster, cheaper and easier”.

The council long-term planning now includes spatial planning, similar to what is being done for Auckland.

Council is working towards activity rules, which would be used to target land use change – using concept plans which would then make for controlled activities.

Consents would be required for high nutrient output activities. Overall Peter says he foresees big changes for the region. Frank Boffa of Wellington firm Boffa Miskell has been working with the Rotorua District Council for some time on land use planning. It is now considered about 30 per cent of pasture land, 6,750ha, round Lake Rotorua needs to be retired. While initial thoughts had been for much of this to be turned into some forest and lifestyle blocks, Frank says the sheer amount of land would make this impractical.

The 2ha blocks envisaged have proven to be uneconomic and he sees better usage by creating a variety of block sizes, “say from 1ha to 5ha”, grouped in small clusters and surrounded by other activities such as a golf course, wellness spas and high quality tourism accommodation, coupled with forest areas. Frank’s overall view was “growing the region to fix the lake” might be a more economically successful system. The Hon Sir Edward Durie, retired head of the Maori Land Court, produced some fairly ‘heretical’ views on land use for the huge areas of Maori land in the region.

With Maori ownership having been changed from ‘tribal’ to ‘individual’ by the government in 1860, the proliferation of individual owners had always been something of a problem, in that profits from use of the land had too many shareholders to be paid each year.

Edward says this is now hugely exacerbated by the fact that a hefty proportion of Maori owners now live in Australia. So, unlike most Pacific people who came to New Zealand to earn money and then repatriated it to their own people, Maori were now required to send much of their profits offshore.

DoloZest/CalciZest based fertiliser programmes deliver higher energy levels in every mouthful. This means: more rapid weight gain over winter  less weight loss after calving.

DAIRY

PH 07 578 0030

Page 11

Tropical armyworm influx the Bay do it properly otherwise you will end up losing money in the long run.”

Bill is still getting enquires after a pasture renewal field day he hosted earlier this year.

He said with the money farmers are spending on pasture renewal, they don’t want it to be

“Not many people spray for weeds or pests in new pastures.

“It is essential that you spray all new perennial pastures for weeds, be they cultivated or sprayed and direct drilled.

“But it is important to spend the money and

riddled with weeds in two years time.

“At the moment the new pastures are competing with the weeds for nutrients and moisture.

“People need to get us in and we can monitor the new grass for you.”

Bill says the benefits far outweigh the costs.

costs which could be incurred by individuals in some schemes would be too great for voluntary compliance to work. Peter says regulation would be necessary for such schemes in the future.

An update on the science and modelling of nutrient movement given by Kit Rutherford of NIWA showed despite there being huge differences in lag times of underground waters reaching the lakes, an immediate reduction in nutrient inputs had an overall faster than expected reduction in lake nitrate and phosphorus levels.

William Oliver, a Taupo farmer who saw opportunities in profitable farming under the nitrogen cap, described how he has adapted 10,000ha of land adjacent to the lake for best land use, using carbon forestry planting, bush retirement and nutrient reductions. The system

has also preserved local jobs and worked to keep the various components of local community viable and active.

Alison Dewes, Agribusiness consultant, talked about the ageing demographic of farmers and the need to realign farm businesses to cope with shifts in global repricing of risk in the last three years.

A process of ‘whole farm planning’ which allows farmers to look at where they are, how they want to farm and where they want to be in future years, is already allowing those who have worked with the system to adjust stocking rates, nutrient efficiency, farm management systems, improve environmental sustainability and still increase profitability.

The overall atmosphere of the conference was upbeat and positive about future changes and results.

By Sheryl Brown

B B - ES WE TING IN TT 19 HE 7 LLTRAC N

Y BA

He says land ownership should revert to a tribal base, so profits could be ploughed back into the land for the benefit of the tribe as a whole. This would help to fund land use change. He also added he felt the era of the Maori Land Court and the Maori Trustee had run their course. His thinking may well coincide with the recent government announcement of support and training for Maori incorporations in their farming activities.

Judge Peter Skelton, now one of the commissioners for Environment Canterbury, was part of the decision making process on Lake Taupo restrictions. Based on that experience he says it had taken five years of consultation and while the Lake Taupo plans were generally collaborative, there would always be free riders who chose to ride on the backs of those who complied. The

He noted that contractor costs are having to be increased as they can no longer absorb the 44 per cent increase in the cost of diesel.

Diesel has gone up from $1.18 to $1.69 since last year, with some Bay of Plenty service stations are selling it over $1.70.

“That’s a 51 cent rise since I set my prices at the start of the maize season,” says Bill.

“That makes quite a bit of difference to the cost of running our machinery.

“It cuts into our margins, and it takes it directly off our bottom line.”

For the 150,000 plus litres of diesel the contracting machines go through in a season, Bill says the higher diesel price is costing him an extra $76,000.

“That’s what I’ve got to cover.

“It’s an additional $76,000 we hadn’t budgeted on. You can see how easily it would be to get blown out.”

The 51 cent increase in diesel means the harvester is costing an extra $25 per hectare – or $30 an hour to run, says Bill.

“That is about a five per cent increase in the hourly rate just for fuel.”

The two maize harvesters both go through 800 litres of diesel each in a day, while the 13 tractors combined take 1500 litres.

6

Putting profits back into the land

BI

The contractor was made aware of the pest by an orchardist and has since noticed it attacking turnip and chicory crops as well as pasture.

“There is a lot around – there are up to 14 caterpillars every square metre,” says Bill.

“They are doing a lot of damage – the pasture looks like it has been grazed.”

Bill says the caterpillars didn’t go after the maize crop this year as they have sometimes in the past, but have instead turned to brassica plants, including rye grass and some lucerne crops.

“I’ve never had to spray for armyworm in my turnip or grass pastures before.

“We had a flood in one of our paddocks and they were all clinging onto the fence posts.

“One orchardist told me he saw them marching along the ground and it looked like the ground was moving.”

Bill Webb Contracting sent out a warning

flyer to clients that had done new pasture renovation and crops when it first noticed the influx.

Checking for pests in pasture is part of a pasture renovation programme farmers should be following anyway, says Bill.

CO

The tropical armyworm is causing damage to crops and pasture in the Bay of Plenty, says Bill Webb.

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Page 12

Coast & Country

Treating muck – every which way Farmers have been saying to Waikato Regional Council for years they want help with their effluent systems, not prosecution.

By Sue Edmonds

Effluent storage seminar – a full house.

The Environment Waikato team finally woken up to the idea, if they held an expo on what is available and threw in a few seminars to boot, they could offer help without fear or favour. Around 500 turned up to the effluent field day to learn.

The basic requirement these days is storage, so those who displayed their wares had to be ‘graduates’ of the effluent storage calculator seminars which EW has been running in recent months.

Held in the big hall at Mystery Creek, the layout had pond liner products all in a row, squirters, jets, travellers and pods in a second row and the scientific measuring experts in a third. Knowing when your soil can cope with irrigation and when it must be stored is just as important as how you store it or apply it.

Thus, visitors could compare textures, welding systems, guarantees and prices for pond liners and stirrers without having to walk miles to discover each brand at multipurpose events.

Farmers need accurate knowledge of how far, how fast and how deep their applicators put effluent on pasture in a measured time. So getting the right sort of whirler or squirter for your soil, your landforms and the acreage to be covered is an important decision and requires quite some knowledge to get right.

The newly released Design Code of Practice and Design Standards for effluent are going to present some

homework for those offering integrated packages of equipment. Even a system of accreditation for ‘those who know’ is being worked on.

This should quickly sort out the ‘snake oil purveyors’ who have, up to now, often managed to sell systems to farmers more fixated on the price tags than on complying with the varying effluent rules in different regions, leaving farmers with something which probably wasn’t going to comply, whatever the weather.

The seminars were all well attended, with standing room only for some of the morning sessions on the storage calculator. It’s not only how much storage you need, depending on cow numbers, soil types, climate and regional rules, but also being aware of what that effluent contains. Depending on where it’s collected from, whether from a feed pad, milking shed or stormwater and whether it contains all the solids or just some of them, the amount of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus will vary hugely.

With annual application limitations, such as 150kg/ha/ year for nitrogen, just flinging it on to a limited acreage, even when the soil is dry enough, could result in being non-compliant and produce health problems for your cows when they graze the pasture. Farm coverage needs to be far more than previously thought, even if you are planting maize frantically to mop up the in-depth leaching.

The storage calculator software is helpful and logical, but does require farmers to know where it’s coming from, what their soils consist of and how large an area it’s going onto.

With Fonterra and the regional council checking up far more often and the dollar value of penalties now being handed out, ignorance is no longer bliss and making good use of muck is the sensible way to go for long-term profitability.

Accelerate grass growth Farmers can accelerate grass growth by up to 51 per cent in colder months using a gibberellic acid, according to new industry trials.

Talk to us about • Soil testing • Fertiliser • Aglime • Agrochemicals • Travel Dollars

• Nutrient budgets • Applied pricing • RPR • Animal health • Nutrition

Tom Dickie Sales Manager Central North Island 021 800 548

Jane Mayo Account Manager South Waikato 021 900 237

Peter O’Shea Account Manager Bay of Plenty / Opotiki 021 900 325

Terry Roberts Account Manager Taupo / Rotorua South 021 900 235

Now with a new urea silo in the Whakatane area.

Gibberellic acid is a naturally occurring plant growth regulator found in most plants, including pasture. During colder months with shorter days, plant enzyme systems slow down so plant growth is slower, says Ravensdown chief scientific officer, Dr Ants Roberts.

Gibberellic acid stimulates production and activity of these enzymes and so the plant growth continues.

“Use of a plant growth regulator like Ravensdown’s new Express product is a good short-term measure when pasture growth is lower because of the weather, but when farmers may need feed,” says Ants.

The industry trials measured

dry matter yield after applications of gibberellic acid plant growth regulators on dairy pasture in Canterbury in August and September 2010. The trials also compared these results with pasture growth following applications of liquid urea as well as a urea-plant growth regulator treatment.

“The trials – by former AgResearch scientist Peter Carey of Land Research Services at Lincoln – showed plant growth regulators increased dry matter production by between 18-36 per cent in late winter and 26-51 per cent in early spring, compared with the Control.

When Express was applied with urea the average dry matter yield was boosted by 60 per cent,” says Ants.

“Plant growth regulators are not fertilisers; they promote earlier growth than would otherwise occur naturally.”

People have been investigat-

The trial plots show the significant increase in grass growth gained using a plant growth regulator and plant growth regulator with urea compared to the Control plots.

ing applications of plant growth regulators since the 1950s. “These products have recently become more affordable when used at the current recommended rates, making them more accessible to farmers to boost growth during late winter or early spring when temperatures are still relatively low, sunlight hours are shorter and there is an immediate feed requirement.

“The trials show Express will increase pasture growth over a 3-4 week period, so to realise the benefit of the accelerated growth, treated pastures should be grazed 3-4 weeks after application.”

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Page 13

Change is challenging With a reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus leaching required and regulation imminent, many in the rural community have concerns.

Fundamental change in any system when forced by regulation is at best messy.

An acceptance that change is necessary, the resources necessary for seamless change and a reasonable time frame in which to implement, are prerequisites for fundamental change in our farming systems to occur.

This autumn, more farmers have purchased DoloZest and CalciZest as part of their autumn nutrient inputs. A change to a DoloZest/CalciZest based system helps to ensure nutrient leaching of all applied nutrient is minimised and when married to sound management practises, total pasture production is maximised.

Dry matter measurements from one site on the Berryman dairy farm at Awakeri, indicate in excess of 20 tonne of dry matter has grown in the 11 months, ending 31 March. The other site on the property, which has been flood-affected, has grown less, however, the farm total at the end of April is likely to be close to 18 tonne of dry matter per ha. This is the fourth season in which less than 20kgN/ha of fertiliser nitrogen has been applied.

There are marked changes taking place in pasture composition at present. With soil temperatures now below 20 degrees, rye grass growth is strengthening as cooler conditions favour them over summer grasses and clover.

Clover is still strong in most paddocks, with long, strong stemmed growth abundant due to relatively high levels of plant available calcium, along with sufficient of all other essential minerals.

Clover growth varies from paddock to

paddock, influenced by how recently it has been grazed, as well as the frequency and hardness of grazing over summer.

Paddocks dominant in clover do not necessarily mean animals grazing them are affected by bloat. Where clovers are hollow stemmed, bloat is more likely to occur as is damage by pest and disease.

These are signs the plants are likely to contain excess potassium relative to particularly calcium and magnesium.

Ideally, clover stems are solid and leaves are thumbnail size or larger and where this is the case, bloat is seldom an issue. Where there is sufficient plant available calcium to promote an abundance of long solid-stemmed large leafed clover, sugar levels are also high and outstanding stock performance can be achieved.

Fast growing and lactating animals perform best on clover-dominant pasture, due also to clover being more digestible. More feed eaten which contains high levels of calcium and energy necessarily provides better performance.

As winter approaches, rye grasses start to dominate the sward and are likely to remain dominant until soil temperatures rise toward 20 degrees in early November. Over winter and spring, ensure stock intake of both calcium and magnesium becomes a focus, along with the provision of sufficient fibre and energy for optimum performance.

An application of DoloZest, with phosphorus and sulphur as required, helps ensure pasture grown over winter and early spring contains magnesium levels of between 0.22-0.25 per cent with no less than 0.60 per cent calcium.

Pasture energy (brix) levels are maximised providing the best possible start to next season.

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DAIRY

Coast & Country

Give your calves a dream home Good quality calf housing can have a big impact on calf health and survival.

Here are seven areas to focus on if you want to add valueh to your investment.

Tip 1 - Shelter provision: Calf housing needs to keep newborns warm and dry, with protection from rain and prevailing winds. Check for draughts using a lighted match at calf height; it shouldn’t blow out.

Pen walls with solid sides a meter high will cut out draughts. If you’re using a converted shearing shed with slatted floors, reduce under-floor draughts by using windbreak material or timber to block the gaps. A long overhang on the open side of the shed is also useful to reduce rain drift into calf pens.

Tip 2 - Safety: Make sure permanent cladding and roofing is well maintained and temporary coverings/windbreaks such as tarpaulins are well secured.

Check the condition of the calf shed for sharp edges from any damaged corrugated iron or tin and for any protruding nails at calf height, as they can lead to injury.

Look out for any lead on gates, rails and any old flashings from reused corrugated iron and steer clear of newly tanalised wood as it is usually treated with copper chrome arsenic.

Tip 3 - Ventilation: Check there is airflow above calf height. Airflow is important to reduce a build up of gases such as ammonia. Condensation on the ceiling can indicate poor airflow – no or minimal condensation is a good sign.

Tip 4 - Lying surfaces: Access to a comfortable surface ensures calves are able to rest as needed. Make sure bedding is topped up regularly or replaced, depending on the system used.

A gently sloping floor can be useful for enhancing drainage, but only if there is adequate collection along the front of the building. Check requirements for effluent collection.

Tip 5 - Drinking water: Check that a clean supply of drinking water is available for all calves. If possible, it can be helpful to position troughs so calves can’t soil them easily.

Dr Adele Arnold, Dairy NZ Developer.

Tip 6 - Sick calf pens: Factor in space for isolating sick calves from the healthy ones to minimise risk of infections spreading. In addition to these physical considerations, good hygiene routines are also vitally important to achieving good health outcomes for calves and shouldn’t be forgotten, no matter how good your shed set-up is.

To avoid cross-contamination, it’s useful to feed and care for sick calves after all the other calves have been attended to, or to have a different person in charge of the sick pen.

Tip 7 - Bobby calf pens: The needs of calves waiting for collection are the same as at any other time.

You may not know how long they’ll have to wait before the truck comes, so it’s important to make sure calves’ needs are met while they wait.

Check there is shelter from prevailing winds and an area where there is shelter from rain. If flooring is slatted, minimise under-floor droughts with wind-break or other suitable material.

Check for sharp edges and that any gaps in floors, walls or ramps are smaller than calf hoof size. Lastly, provide fresh drinking water in collection pens so calves can stay hydrated before their journey. This will help to ensure they arrive at the works in the best possible condition.

Darryl Isaac Ltd

PH 07 578 0030

KING COUNTRY

Page 15

New beef and lamb monitor farms A new Monitor Farm Programme has been proposed in the King Country based on the traditional model, but with high performance groups focused on specific issues such as beef cow performance, winter forage and summer lamb finishing.

After 20 successful years, Beef and Lamb New Zealand’s Monitor Farm Programme is making some changes so farmers within each community can customise programmes to suit each region.

The Monitor Farm Programme has been operating since 1991. It is based on farmers working together within each of B+LNZ’s six regions to adopt new technology and measuring the impact on overall farm performance over a three-to-four year period.

“A review of the programme last year confirmed that it needed to move with the times,” says B+LNZ chief executive Dr Scott Champion.

Flexibility needed

“While the core essence of the Monitor Farm Programme is still highly relevant, it was evident that the community groups needed more flexibility to run programmes that addressed the needs within their area.

The old ‘one farm, one programme’ model was found to not suit all regions.

“That said, in some regions, it is still the best model.

Often, it comes down to the diversity of farming environments and systems within some regions. The reality is that different areas have different challenges.”

The programmes have been highly successful, with more than 3600 farmers attending Monitor Farm meetings or field days across New Zealand each year.

It is hoped that the review and consequent changes will re-ignite farmer interest in the programme.

“As each existing Monitor Farm comes to the end of its term, we are hoping the community groups stay on and play an active role in developing the programme they want to see in their region,” says Scott.

Monitor Farm Programmes updates in other areas: Waikato/Franklin: The current Monitor Farm programme – at Bodleys’ Kerr Farm at Naike – finished in April and a new issues-based format will then begin.

Taupo: Currently Alex and Anne Richardson’s Western Bays and Rangiatea Station

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properties. The programme is in its third year.

Gisborne: Final field day was held April 29 at Ken and Kirsty Shaw’s Elmore Station, Matawai. That concludes the fouryear programme at Elmore. Consultation is underway regarding the format of the new programme.

FIELDAYS PREVIEW

Page 16

Coast & Country

PM anticipates farmers to start spending Farmers are the “bright white hope” for New Zealand according to the Prime Minister, who is anticipating dairy farmers will start spending money again soon.

Speaking to farmers at the large herd dairy conference in Rotorua, John Key reflected on the impact

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of the Christchurch earthquake on the economy and how the agricultural industry is going to pull New Zealand forward.

“What is booming is the agricultural industry and everyone connected to it.

It’s a great product you’re producing.

You are in for a monster year.

“Sheep and beef farmers are also making money for the first time in 30 years.

“Forestry and fish prices are very strong.”

He commented on the debt in the private sector and how during the global financial crisis the banks “have got really jumpy”.

“But you are have been paying off phenomenal debt while the payout’s big.

“So you’re going to have to pay us more tax soon – so I reckon you’re going to start spending again really soon.”

John says, looking ahead, New Zealand has to rebalance itself to be a more export-based economy.

A taxi driver in San Francisco asked him how much money the New Zealand government are borrowing a day.

“I said ‘funny, I actually know that’.

“We owe a lot to foreigners, our

interest rates are too high. We’ve been at the height of it –borrowing $300m a week.”

“The US is borrowing $4.6b a day.”

He says the longterm outlook for the agricultural industry is very strong.

New Zealand dairy exports have helped China to surpass the United States as the second biggest export market for New Zealand.

“The seven hours you are in bed – we’ve sold more product to China than in all of 1972.

It’s mind blowing.

“And it’s only going in one direction.

“What they’ve recognised is New Zealand is a very important source for them. They could go anywhere in the world and they came to New Zealand.”

“And I agree with Sir Henry Van der Hayden – if you think China’s big, India is just as big.”

By Sheryl Brown

Prime Minister John Key addresses dairy farmers at the large herd dairy conference.

PH 07 578 0030

FIELDAYS PREVIEW

Page 17

Late entries sought for wearable art The deadline for the New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays wearable art competition is extended to May 18.

The extension has been made to take into account the time required to create quality items and reduces the potential of any plant

derived garments deteriorating before they hit the runway, organisers say.

The wearable art competition challenges creative individuals’ aesthetic and structural capabilities to create a visual work of wearable art from rurally derived products.

Entries so far have come from Wellington, Hawke’s Bay and even Australia.

There’s good money in it, says Fieldays

general manager Barry Quayle. “It’s great that with the support of sponsors we are able to continue to offer substantial cash prizes.

Innovation and an artistic approach end up with the big prizes,” says Barry.

Preliminary judging begins on May 25 when the finalists are then selected to show at the Fieldays. This year, the runway show is a polished catwalk parade, presenting the

designs to their full potential.

For further information regarding the competition and to download entry forms phone Adam Reinsfield on 07 843 4499 email adamr@fieldays.co.nz or visit www.fieldays.co.nz The 2011 New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays are June 15 to 18 at Mystery Creek Events Centre.

LIQUETEC Farm Services Some of the entries for Fieldays wearable art 2010.

THREE BROTHERS

Page 18

HUNT, FISH, EAT

rural dog owners

1st july 2011

Coast & Country

Quads for work and recreation Action Equipment is now the Bay of Plenty dealer for Polaris ATVs.

The addition of this side of the business in 2009 to the successful Husqvarna dealership has been well received by farmers, as well as landowners and lifestylers.

Action Equipment’s ATV department has high quality staff, led by Nathan Moore, who have many years experience in the industry. The staff dedication to customer service includes cost-effective collection and delivery, a free loan machine as required, plus constant customer contact to ensure no unexpected large bills.

The Polaris range includes something for everyone – sports and recreational two and four wheel drive quads, as well as farm and youth machines. Check out the unique features, such as “on demand” four wheel drive, active descent control, independent rear suspension and the two-seater “X2” high load capacity quad.

Try out the side-by-side Ranger on free demo, the smoothest riding and hardest

working by far – certainly the best sideby-side in New Zealand. It is available in numerous models, including diesel and electric versions, 4x4 and 6x6 – two, three and six seaters, as well as the RZR racer.

Action Equipment has now moved to new premises in Glasgow Street in Tauranga, boasting an excellent showroom, additional dedicated ATV workshops and an outside display of new and used quads. The established workshops and showroom are still at Main Road, Katikati.

Phone either store and ask Nathan for a no obligation demonstration.

Stalkers outnumbered on council Hunters are concerned political interests are stalking the recently announced Game Animal Council and threatening to disenfranchise hunting groups.

By Andrew Campbell

“Of the 11 seats on the council, only about four are from recreational hunting groups,” says Tauranga deerstalker Dean Maisey. “Iwi representation, Forest and Bird, Federated Farmers, game estates are all going to have one or two seats. Everything’s being diluted from what the original purpose was.

“It is one of those things that’s been a little bit contentious,” says Dean.

“Some people think it’s going to be a great thing, while other people think its going to be hijacked by the non-hunting interest groups, like the farming lobby and the conservation lobby.

“It may become a great thing and what everybody’s after or it may get stalled by non-hunting interest groups.”

The Game Animal Council’s functions will relate to management of tahr, chamois, deer and pigs, including promoting hunters’ safety, improving hunting opportunities and making recommendations to the Minister of Conservation.

Conservation minister Kate Wilkinson says the new council will have hunters’ interests at the forefront.

“I expect it to engage practically with local and government authorities, land owners and other sector groups,” says Kate.

United Future leader Peter Dunne says the council will give hunters a greater say in the management of New Zealand’s big game resource. Until now, New Zealand’s game animals have been officially regarded as pests, with eradication rather than management being the intention of the various government departments that have taken over the issue over the decades.

The ‘pests’ have provided the basis of successful deer farming, a venison and velvet export industry and are a tourism draw card for international hunters.

“I have long held the belief that these large game animals deserve balanced management as valued introduced species rather than just the pests government policy has historically considered them to be,” says Kate.

“I am proud that we have given hunters a greater say in the future of their sport, while preserving their right to hunt these animals for free.

From colonial times hunting in New Zealand was egalitarian and removed from the northern hemisphere class structured societies where only the rich could hunt, says Dean. “In New Zealand they set it up so every man is equal before the law, and you don’t have to be landed gentry to hunt,” says Dean.

“The deer, pigs, pheasants and what-not belong to everyone.

So that’s basically what they tried to set up, but successive government departments viewed deer largely as pests rather than a resource and what they are trying to do with the Game Animal Council is form some sort of statutory body to discuss those issues around managing those game animals instead of just eradicating them.”

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HUNT, FISH, EAT

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The ultimate hunting competition Tauranga will host what is shaping up to be one of the biggest hunting competitions of its type in New Zealand.

By Clive Mckenney

The Polaris Big Four competition in June is the brain child of a group of Quarry Tavern Community Sports Club committee members who are all keen outdoor hunter gatherers.

Thanks to the amazing generosity of Polaris Industries and the many other kind sponsors, the total prize package is now over $65,000. The Big Four is a team event, where every team attempts to bag a red stag, wild boar, male pheasant and a rainbow or brown trout. Each species is allocated a number of points relating to their weight or number of bars on the pheasant’s tail. These are then added up with the winning team being the one with the most points.

If one particular team manages to bag the heaviest in all categories, together with the top pheasant, they will drive away in a 2007 Toyota Hilux. Regardless, the first prize for the winning team will be a brand new Polaris Ranger 500.

And take it from me this is a prize worth winning.

A couple of weekends ago, a group of us got the opportunity to put the Polaris through its paces. Ken Griffin, his son Mark, Denney Barry, Roger McDowell and myself, took a demo model, kindly supplied by Action Equipment Tauranga-Katikati, down the east coast to get some hunting photos and

video footage for advertising purposes. Ken did most of the driving and he took the Polaris to places the Americans would never dream to take them. Over mountain ranges on narrow slippery tracks, up boulder-strewn river beds and through deep muddy holes – she never missed a beat. We all had a drive and Denney summed it up by saying more than once with a big grin on his face “she’s a little ripper mate”. We managed to bag a good load of venison, with one particular stag tipping the scales to 310 pounds. The combined weight of hunters and meat wasn’t a problem for the tough little wagon.

Anyway back to the comp. Along with the teams’ event, there is also individual chances to win in each species category. As well as the Polaris, there’s a $1000 helicopter trip, an Aluminium Dog Box for the keen pig hunters and thousands of dollars worth of other assorted prizes, including trout fishing gear, hunting gear and plenty more thanks to the many great sponsors. On top of all that, there is a spot prize of a 1988 Toyota Hilux which is up for grabs for every team member. To make it even better, the first 50 teams to enter, get two chances at winning the Hilux.

The competition will be capped at 200 teams. Entry per team is $200. The briefing starts at the Quarry Tavern at 7pm Wednesday, June 22 and the weigh in commences at 10am Sunday, June 26 in the Quarry Tavern car park. TV personality Geoff Thomas is hosting the weigh in and also filming the event for his show ‘Outdoors with Geoff ’. So if you enjoy a bit of hunting and fishing and like the idea of a Polaris or Toyota Hilux parked in the shed, then what are you waiting for.

For more information, a copy of the rules and an entry form, phone or text Clive Mckenney 021 048 2833, email Sheryl.clive@xtra.co.nz or Ken Griffin 021 533 075, email ken.griffin@ihug.co.nz

FORESTRY

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Coast & Country

Log markets holding steady The New Zealand log market, notorious for its peaks and troughs, is enjoying one of the most sustained stable periods in its history.

A consistent demand out of China has seen the Chinese landed logs price hold remarkably steady, with the only movement in recent months being an

increasing rise in most export grades.

Demand from China continues to be strong, often described as insatiable.

Even through the notorious Chinese New Year period, demand did not drop off and stocks remain at low enough levels to keep the price paid to New Zealand log sellers stable.

India continues to emerge as a significant log importer as its economy picks up, along with the demand for natural

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resources to fuel its industrial renaissance increases.

Shipping costs and logistical challenges of getting logs through the Indian port system continue to hamper this market compared to China, but there is no doubt India is emerging as a major player.

There is still a lot of speculation about the impact of the Japanese earthquake on the Asian wood markets. There is no doubt a very large amount of wood products are going to be required for the rebuild.

With several of their own sawmills knocked out by the tsunami, Japan is probably going to be lifting its timber and housing component imports considerably.

Hopefully, some of this comes from New Zealand sawmills. However, the major source is likely to be China, which will be able to supply plywood and house components made of New Zealand radiata. In the medium-term, this adds further strength to the

Chinese demand.

Most of the movements in recent months in the New Zealand log prices at the wharf gate have been explained by fluctuations in the ocean freight rates.

In recent months, we have seen several fluctuations.

After the Queensland floods, spare capacity became available after the Australian mining industry was disrupted by floodwaters. The situation has recovered, but other distortions in the world shipping market continue to cause fluctuations in the shipping price.

While things look extremely rosy in the short to medium-term, there are a couple of warning clouds on the horizon over China. China has just experienced its first trade deficit, caused mainly by the increasing costs of the natural resources it imports.

The other cloud is from Russia, with the Russian government trying to gain entry to the World Trade Organisation. One of the stipulations of entry to the WTO is Russia drops its tariff on log exports.

If Russia were to become a major supplier to China again this could potentially have a drastic impact on the Pacific Rim log market.

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60 years of land cruiser Toyota is celebrating its 60th anniversary with “legendary offers” and the re-launch of an iconic model…the FJ Cruiser.

service plans of 60 months on all new Land Cruiser models. They are also giving away free warrant of fitness checks and AA Roadside Assistance for 60 months with each new vehicle.

Over the years, Toyota has strengthened the appeal of the Land Cruiser to a wider crosssection of motorists with the introduction of a whole range of models more suited to ‘urbandwellers’. The 200 Series and the Land Cruiser Prado in particular have long held a special place in the market as the preferred ‘townie’ four-wheel drive. Whatever the reasons for buying, there can be no argument the Land Cruiser has long held the position as New Zealand’s 4WD vehicle of choice.

Relaunching

For close to 60 years, Toyota Land Cruiser has proven its ability all over the globe and earned a reputation for reliability and durability – both on the farm as an “off-roader” and as an allpurpose site vehicle. Every day throughout New Zealand, Land Cruisers are pushed to their limits in severe conditions, continuing to prove they offer the robust, no-nonsense approach needed when vehicles are taken to extremes.

This year, Toyota are celebrating their 60th anniversary by offering extended warranty and

Earlier this year, Toyota ramped up its celebrations with the re-launch of a perennial favourite – the FJ Cruiser.

Its modern and rugged styling, versatile interior space and impressive off-road performance has been designed to support an active lifestyle. Toyota says it is a modern evolution of the classic Land Cruiser FJ 40 so popular with thousands of New Zealanders in the 60s and 70s.

Sun Media motoring writer Richard Rennie took the all-new FJ Cruiser for a test run and was impressed by the FJ’s handling and level of specifications. Having “fond memories” of the original FJ, Richard couldn’t help but throw in a few comparisons to the modern version of this iconic machine. There are plenty of styling cues from the old FJ to pick from, the rounded headlights, the original grill layout, the way that the exterior colours are “mimicked” in the dash area.

There is no seventies feel, however, to the luxury

The FJ Cruiser is surprisingly taut for weighing nearly two tonne unladen. extras, including an awesome sound system with speakers cleverly integrated into the roof line, giving a symphony-like listening experience.

All of these styling features are a clever compromise between avoiding the trap of being a V6 powered two-door and being just another oversized SUV. For, while the FJ shares much of the Prado’s running gear, it sits lower and is 100mm shorter, giving it a squat, almost military “bulldog-like” stance with the roof line sloping back at the rear.

Decent power

Powered by Toyota’s big V6 petrol engine, the FJ delivers a decent 200kw of power with a chunky stump pulling 380Nm of torque at around 4400rpm. The fact it is kitted with a true High-Low transmission transfer on the five speed gear box means this is not just some soft roader trying to look tough.

We never got to thrash it through Kaimai stream beds, but the paddock hill climbing it did on slippery clay saw the FJ shrug off the inclines and quietly power through as if they were not even there. No doubt aided by such high tech

The FJ Cruiser tips its hat to the original FJ design, but comes with plenty of modern-day features. software that would not have even been dreamed of on the original FJ, including the Active Traction Control which cleverly controls braking to each individual wheel independently and directs power to where it is going to be the most use in sticky situations.

On the open road, the FJ lives up to its name. A great cruiser, with plenty in reserve for overtaking and with a 4-litre engine under the bonnet, it is quiet and has minimal road noise intrusion. The extra strengthening Toyota has put through its frame to withstand off-roading gives it a surprisingly taut feel for a vehicle which weighs near to two tonne unladen.

The retro-themed dash, with its vertical panelling, is topped with something every outback vehicle requires – a compass, inclinometer and temperature gauge cluster – and should things go horribly wrong, there are no less than eight airbags to cushion occupants. Braking does justice to the FJ’s aspirations – with the power assisted front and rear discs offering plenty of bite, with a nice progressive feel to their action.

For all enquiries on the new FJ Cruiser or any of the Land Cruiser range, see the team at Pacific Toyota, Elizabeth Street, Tauranga. Phone 07 578 1099.

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COAST & COUNTRY

Coast & Country

Ford XR6 suits us to a tee She’s a hard road finding the perfect car mate…but one Pongakawa couple managed to have a bit of fun with their recent buying experience.

For just $44,990* you could be driving a new Falcon XR6, complete with 6-speed transmission, 17” alloys and sports body kit. You wouldn’t want to miss out on that. Visit your Ford Dealer today.

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As a former mechanic with a keen interest in motorsports and classic cars, Lance Halcombe often finds it a bit of a challenge to hunt down a vehicle which meets his high standards. As one might expect, not much escapes his careful scrutiny.

Lance and his wife, Karen, are busy dairy farmers and kiwifruit orchardists and have lived in Pongakawa for 22 years. They have owned a variety of cars over that time, both for farm and private use. When they decided to upgrade their private car, their sights were firmly set on buying a car that was a bit more “racy” than what they had had previously.

“I liked the look of the Ford Focus XR5,” says Lance.

Not being a model every dealership has sitting on their forecourt, the XR5 had to be specially transported to Tauranga so Karen and Lance could test drive it.

“Barry Gordon and Chris Frost, at Ultimate Motor Group in Hewletts Road, Mount Maunganui, went to a lot of trouble to get the car in for us,” says Karen.

We were invited to keep the car overnight. Having the car for a whole day gave us plenty of time to really see if it was going to suit our needs – and as it turned out, have a bit of fun while we went about it.”

The XR5 actually turned out to not be exactly what they were looking for.

“But we had a real blast test driving it.

Karen and Lance Halcombe are delighted with their latest purchase.

It’s an awesome machine,” says Lance.

They ended up buying the Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo Anniversary Edition with a Luxury Pack, which includes full leather, premium sound system and custom alloy wheels.

“It’s still a high performance car, but with extra comfort and space and we can easily fit three sets of golf clubs in the boot,” says keen golfer, Karen.

“Lots of people notice the car and ask if they can have a look at it too.”

Having owned an XR6 in the past, Lance thinks that the 2010 Anniversary model is pretty much “spot on” and is pleasantly surprised its fuel economy is about 10 per cent better than their previous car – even with its turbocharged engine.

“All up, I think this XR6 is excellent value for money.”

Karen and Lance were delighted with the service they received from the team at Ultimate Motor Group and highly recommend not only buying a car from Ultimate, but also the fantastic service they have always received from George and his team at Ultimate’s 2nd Avenue Tauranga branch.

Karen says “it just goes to prove that you can have a bit of fun buying a car and that it’s not the stressful experience that some people think it is”.

COAST & COUNTRY

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Page 23

Triton powers into ute market Mitsubishi’s re-styled Triton is still a powerful ‘head-turner’ ideal for work or play When the Mitsubishi Triton ute was launched five years ago, it turned a few heads among the mainly male ute-buying population.

Those curvy looks through the rear passenger section and the car-like front grille seemed to invite a “love it or hate it” attitude among motorists. Ladies loved it, guys...well, maybe not so much.

Having personally experienced the very first press launch of the Triton on the Wellington coast, the well planned launch here in New Zealand provided plenty of opportunity to showcase a ute which, despite its controversial looks, managed to plug it through the rough stuff and offered a wide range of configurations for New Zealand’s sophisticated utility market.

Now the latest model is out and yes those curves through the rear cabin remain, although some detailed re-styling seems to have toned them back.

affair. This is of course helped by a dollop of new turbo technology which was missing from the previous model’s engine.

Under the hood is a new generation turbo charger, with variable vanes that adjust according to the air flow coming through the engine, to achieve an ideal pitch which optimises the airflow coming into the combustion chamber.

The result is a turbo which can deliver much earlier at the bottom of the rev range and with a far smoother progressive power increase. The extra grunt of the new engine also pushes the GLS’s towing capacity up with its competitors to 3.0 tonne – a vital feature in this competitive market.

In the limited off-roading drive we were able to take the test Triton on, its departure angle of 20.6 degrees was generous enough, with no scrapes or grindings on the undersides to have to confess to. The smart low profile 17inch tyres were more suited to on road rather than offroad use, but with the ultra-low 4WD option engaged, it easily managed some slippery semi-

New diesel technology

Up front, it says much about how rapidly diesel technology has evolved, that the 3.0 litre diesel model tested on those Wellington hills and coast roads back in 2006 has been compressed down into a 2.5 litre engine. Yet it still manages to increase its power by 13kw to 133kw and its stump-pulling torque by a chunky 54Nm to 407Nm at 2000rpm. Much of the “tractor clatter” of the older engine has been smothered or eliminated, making this a smoother-sounding, easy-shifting power plant, which is as comfortable around town as it is cruising at speed.

The delivery of the turbo is nice and gradual, easing up through the rev range without abruptness and making the manual gear shifting on the GLS model tested a relaxed

The rear lid offers greater flexibility by lifting up from the front.

The distinctive front grille of the new Triton still turns heads.

The interior has been upgraded to include smart driver information displays, like elevation, barometric pressure and fuel consumption. swampy country out of town. The Triton’s off-road ability is also wrapped around MATT (Mitsubishi All Terrain Technology). This is an integrated package of software systems which monitor changes in wheel speeds and the varying G forces brought to bear on the ute. This includes Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Active Stability Control. In the GLS model, this includes the Super Select 4WD system which enables you to switch from 2WD to full time 4WD on the fly.

Upgrades bring improvements Mitsubishi clearly appreciates the strong affinity Kiwis have with their utes and it’s obvious has listened closely to the feedback from its customers with this latest Triton model. For example, it has made the rear tray deeper and slightly longer, eliminating the issue you can sometimes get with a four door

ute, where offering room for the family inside means there’s only just enough space for the dog and some gear in the rear. Instead, on this new model there is 14 per cent more useful space than on the previous one. On the GLS model tested, the tray was also nicely covered with a lid which had the ability to lift up completely, rather than just being hinged from the front.

This provides increased room for those loads which would not fit were it to simply open from one end. The hinge system comes with its own pins to ensure once you have put the lid up it can be locked in place safely and won’t fly apart mid-journey.

Interior upgrade

The interior has also been upgraded, offering well-supported rear seating for passengers, with space which is better than any other four door ute recently trialled. It is a comfortable, supportive rear position which would win plenty of favour with the family when coupled to excellent visibility. There is also a remote electric operated rear window that would be ideal for passing gear through to a rear canopy area or to yell at the dog to “shut up – you’re not on the farm now!”

Other additions of car-like features include wheel mounted remotes for the stereo and cruise control and a leather topped 4WD and gear shift. They add to a pleasant cabin which is still easily cleaned and kept clean with hard wearing surfaces on the doors.

With its long history here in New Zealand, Mitsubishi probably first won the hearts and minds of the rural folk with its L200 – plenty of which can still be found around today. With the new Triton and its stand out looks, excellent power levels and smart interior finish, Mitsubishi is well positioned to continue offering the competitive ute market a very effective means to combine work with play.

By Richard Rennie

Specs - Mitsubishi Triton GLS

Towing Weight: 3.0 tonne

Engine: 2.5 Litre Turbo Diesel Kerb Weight: 1920kg

Features: Front, side and curtain airbags, Super Select 4WD System, Traction Control, Cruise Control, Automatic Stability Control, EBD, Multi-hinged Hard Lid

Load Capacity: 1010kg

Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km (claimed)

Wheels: 17” alloys

Transmission: 5 speed manual

Turning Circle: 11.8m Power: 133Kw @ 4000 rpm, torque: 356@ 2000rpm

Price: $54,190 as tested

Test Drive at: Bay City Mitsubishi, 140 Cameron Rd, Tauranga. Ph: 07 578 0039

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COAST & COUNTRY

Coast & Country

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COAST & COUNTRY

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COAST & COUNTRY

Coast & Country

Top of their game Whether you drive a car or a ute, you’re assured of award-winning personal service at Farmer Autovillage.

It can sometimes be hard to find a car repairer that you know you can trust to do the job right and not charge a fortune for it. Well that’s the perfect reason why you should choose Farmer Autovillage on Hewletts Rd, Mt Maunganui for your next vehicle service or repair.

Having the largest workshop in Tauranga, with 18 highly qualified automotive technicians, means that you and your vehicle receive the individual attention required to ensure that all work carried out is of

Service department customers can enjoy a free coffee while they wait! the highest standards. Each one of those technicians specialises in one of the major car brands … Subaru, Nissan, Audi, VW, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep … although other makes and models are repaired as well. This is a group of dedicated people using their knowledge and expertise to keep your car in top condition, and for much less than you may think!

“We have a range of options to suit everyone’s budget,” says Service Manager Bevan Sheppard, “and I like to describe our customer approach as “low pressure”. If there is a significant amount of work to be done on a car, we will sit down and work out a plan that allows the customer to comfortably manage the cost of the repairs. We pride ourselves on offering a consistent level of service to everyone, regardless of their circumstances.”

Another advantage of having your car serviced or repaired at Farmer Autovillage is that all work is guaranteed, and if you own a Nissan, you will get a 12 month/20,000km warranty on all parts and labour – even on older models. You will even pay less than the Testing Station for a Warrant of Fitness inspection there!

It seems like a wise idea then to take your car or commercial vehicle to the team at Farmer Autovillage for your next service or repair. You’ll receive a warm reception, a complimentary coffee in the awesome Engine Room Café, enjoy the convenience of their Courtesy Van pick up/drop off service or simply relax in their quiet upstairs customer lounge. Plus, your car will be washed and vacuumed before you drive away.

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COAST & COUNTRY

Luxury levels boost appeal It would be easy to glance at the new model Nissan Murano and dismiss it as just a facelift revamp – a new grill here, some different headlights there, some funkier tail lights on the rear.

But wait, there is more. When you slide into the luxurious cabin, there is a greater sense of luxury, comfort and finish to the latest Murano, something Nissan seem to be doing well these days.

Launched around the same time as the Murano, this finish and quality are also shared by the new Maxima. Both share the V6 engine, a CVT transmission and interiors which have a European level to their features and luxury.

In the Murano, the driver is treated to an eight way power seat, upholstered in double-stitched leather and a grunty Bosch stereo system.

Plenty of extras

There is a lengthy list of extras and goodies within the Murano, from rain sensitive wipers and intelligent keyless entry, to dual zone air conditioning and Bluetooth.

Perhaps the most popular feature for anyone caught with groceries, kids or sports gear in a downpour, would be the fully electric tail gate. Simply push the remote and the big door magically lifts open. Push the button once more and it shuts once you have loaded up.

For safety sake, there are six airbags and also a reversing camera.

There is ample room in the rear for passengers and head room feels surprisingly good considering the Murano has a streamlined roof profile. Boot space is also generous, something not always the case with SUV vehicles.

More than adequate

Power from the acclaimed 3.5 litre V6 engine is delivered in a smooth, laid back fashion, while the CVT transmission seems more than adequate. Power flows through to the front wheels for much of the time, unless things get slippery, then half the power transfers to the rear. Handling on this big wagon is surprisingly balanced and does not feel boat-like, despite the Murano’s height.

A drive in the new Murano is likely to eclipse any doubts about this simply being a dressed up version of the previous model. Thanks to its quiet, refined feel, quality finish and comfortable driving ability, the Murano’s appeal certainly has been boosted.

The Murano is priced at $60,990 and is available from Bay Nissan at Farmer Autovillage, 116 Hewletts Rd, Mount Maunganui.

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Page 27

COAST & COUNTRY

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Page 29

Key National Identification Animal Tracing (NAIT) dates rugged, easy to use and reliable National Identification Animal Tracing (NAIT) is a scheme designed to link farmers, properties and animals.

It is essential for New Zealand biosecurity responses and to assure New Zealand’s overseas markets.

The NAIT system will quickly and accurately trace infected cattle and properties via Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) ear tags. The data collected will enable NAIT to contain biosecurity risks and food scares so trade can resume quicker after such an event.

Farmers’ requirements: • From 1 November 2011, all cattle need to be tagged with a NAIT-approved RFID ear tag before the animal’s first off-farm movement or within 180 days of birth, whichever comes first. All cattle born on or after this date must be tagged with a NAIT-approved RFID primary and an approved secondary tag. A secondary tag will not be required for slaughter. All cattle born before this date and not being moved off-farm, need to be tagged with a NAIT-approved RFID tag within three years.

• By 1 February 2012, farmers need to register themselves and the locations at which they are in charge of cattle. Farmers can start this registration from 1 November 2011.

• From 1 May 2012, the NAIT scheme will be fully operational.

From this date, farmers will need to register cattle with NAIT before moving them off-farm and advise NAIT of all off-farm movements of cattle. Farmers selling through NAIT-accredited sale yards/meat processors will be exempt from notifying NAIT. Farmers will not have to tag cattle by 1 November under the following circumstances: • Capital stock, older and bigger animals, not going off-farm will have a three-year transition period to be tagged.

• Bobby calves, under 30 days old, are deemed a low biosecurity risk and therefore are not part of the NAIT system.

Calves born after 1 March 2011

can be tagged using a NAITapproved RFID tag as the primary tag and an Animal Health Board approved secondary tag for movements other than to slaughter.

Until NAIT RFID ear tags become mandatory on 1 November 2011, all stock being moved to slaughter must still have AHB-approved bar-coded tags.

Current AHB rules for bar-coded primary tags and approved secondary tags will continue to apply for all movements of stock born before 1 March 2011.

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Traditionally, New Zealand farmers have tagged with a visual panel tag and have usually placed it towards the outside of the animal’s ear. NAIT recommends farmers tag young animals (ideally at weaning or before) to allow the person tagging more control in the placement and apply the tag to the inner part of the right ear between the two veins.

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HORTICULTURE

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Coast & Country

Take a punt on kiwifruit Kiwifruit orchards are a bargin for people who want to take a risk according to a Tauranga real estate agent.

“If anyone is willing to take a gamble, there are some very lowpriced kiwifruit orchards for sale that have very high returns,” says Andrew Fowler, rural real estate agent at PGG Wrightson Real Estate in Tauranga.

Prices have dropped drastically since the Psa outbreak south of Te Puke in November 2010.

Although the outbreak has not spread too far afield, kiwifruit orchard sales have been virtually non-existent from the time of the announcement.

“It is hard to get an accurate value on orchards as there has been a complete lack of sales, but I would say that green

kiwifruit orchards are down $100,000 to $150,000 per canopy hectare and gold kiwifruit orchards down $200,000 to $300,000 per canopy hectare. There is a lot of uncertainty from buyers and they are not prepared to take the risk at this time,” says Andrew.

The only recent kiwifruit orchard sale was a 42ha Te Puke property, selling for $4 million, which before the outbreak was worth $6-7 million.

The returns for kiwifruit are still phenomenal with GOLD kiwifruit fetching eight dollars a tray this year, which equates to about $100,000 per canopy hectare or around a thirty per cent return.

By Helen Wilson

“Farmers who have their orchards for sale are fairly pragmatic and are looking to industry leaders for a solution. The lab trials are encouraging and there is a chemical called Serenade which seems to be working on the disease.”

Psa is a bacterial disease which only affects kiwifruit vines and carries no risk to humans or animals. Psa is an airborne bacterium and can be carried via heavy rain, strong winds, on equipment, machinery or plant material.

Good orchard hygiene is a way of combating Psa through sterilising equipment, disinfecting hands and shoes and not transferring plant material from one orchard to another.

Independent kiwifruit inquiry called for

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The Independent Kiwifruit Growers Association is calling for the head of kiwifruit board chairman, John Loughlin.

By Andrew Campbell

The call comes after Auckland business newspaper NBR did a recent front page story about allegations of abuse of proxy vote information.

Through Zespri communications advisor David Courtney, John Loughlin says it is an old issue, it happened three years ago and it was dealt with at the time.

Zespri has taken steps to ensure it won’t happen again and Zespri has independent confirmation by statutory declaration this matter has not occurred since 2008.

It hasn’t stopped IKGA chairman Marcus Wilkins calling for an independent inquiry into the repeated misuse of confidential shareholder proxy votes before Zespri’s company annual general meeting.

“It’s clear from the reported breaches of shareholder confidentiality and the company’s attempts to cover up the extent of these breaches, that an independent inquiry is the only way for Zespri shareholders to regain confidence in the Zespri board,” says Marcus.

“Sound democratic processes and robust corporate governance go to the heart of shareholder confidence in any company.”

At issue is a ‘damning report’

by Barrister David Connor into accessing of proxy votes, which was never disclosed to kiwifruit growers or Zespri shareholders.

“It would appear from this report that the reelection of Zespri international chairman Craig Greenlees at successive AGM’s is seriously called into question,” says Marcus.

“Even if he did have the votes to regain his seat on the board, he should have resigned because, according to the article, he received confidential shareholder proxy vote information prior to the AGM’s in 2005, 2006 and 2008 in breach of a confidentiality agreement that he negotiated.”

When contacted Craig Greenlees said he had not seen the IKGA newsletter.

“This matter is being dealt with by the by the Zespri board and chairman, I suggest you talk to the chairman John Loughlin.”

John Loughlin refused a call for an independent inquiry when IKGA raised the issue at the last AGM, says Marcus.

“His continuing role as chairman must now be in doubt, given his role in keeping these matters from shareholders and attempting to justify the reason Mr Greenlees was not immediately forced to resign.”

Justifications that “Mr Greenless is a ‘key board member’ and a ‘strong contributor’ carry the unpleasant whiff of an old-boys club where directors interests are put above those of shareholders and growers”, says Marcus.

“Even more extraordinary, is Mr Loughlin’s apparent justification for his failure to act decisively on what is a clear cut breach of trust and confidence by stating that the board needs to keep its focus on grower returns.

“Election to the board of Zespri is a political process and not a commercial one. Directors like Mr Greenless are politicians who need grower support for their re-election, which is why the integrity of the voting system is of great interest to growers.”

John Loughlin was, however, correct to point out the need for a clear focus on grower returns, says Marcus.

Mistakes by the Zespri board affect the whole industry, including those growers disenfranchised by growers holding shares in excess of their production.

“We believe as many as 30 per cent of growers are not shareholders and an unknown, but significant number, hold fewer shares than their production. Given the fact that all kiwifruit growers and not just Zespri shareholders have to supply a company with monopoly powers conferred on it by the government, these revelations are even more serious.”

IKGA wants an immediate independent inquiry with the results to be made public.

It wants the independent “Connor” report paid for by Zespri with grower funds, to be made public.

It is also calling for New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated to make available to growers all information that NZKGI had on the accessing of proxy votes in breach of the confidentiality agreement, including the full content of the legal opinion that NZKGI obtained on this matter.

PH 07 578 0030

HORTICULTURE

Page 31

Avocado growers turned packers with Reed and autumn-set Hass. We have specialised ripening facilities and direct marketing links to supermarkets through the Team retail ripe program.

“We care about all growers equally, regardless of crop size. Grower education is a key focus and we regularly run topical field days to up-skill our growers in good practice,” says Hugh.

Recently they decided to expand into the area of orchard management.

“We find that some growers are busy

Situated on Kauri Point Road in Katikati in the heart of the Bay of Plenty’s premier avocado growing district, the staff at Kauripak spend twelve months of the year packing avocados for Team Avocado.

When talking to managing director Hugh Moore, one finds out what has made this family-owned and operated business tick.

Hugh says the key to their success

is they are growers too.

“Dorothy and I planted our first avocados here at Kauri Point in 1979 and we began packing for export three years later. We have more than 30 years experience in, growing, handling, packing and storing avocados.”

With daughters, Jenny and Linda who are actively involved in the business, Hugh says they have a commitment to maintain excellent service their clients.

A long partnership with New Zealand’s leading marketer Team Avocado began in 1991 – Kauripak

was the original Team packhouse.

“We are proud to be a part of this unique relationship, where all growers are members of the Team Avocado Trust,” says Hugh.

At its inception, the trust developed a revolutionary income pooling system to ensure growers’ commercial risks were minimised.

“At Kauripak, we are dedicated to packing only avocados and we operate for twelve months of the year. Our main focus is packing fruit for the export market, although we deal with early and late season Hass along

working or simply don’t have the desire to be hands on. We can offer simple programs to assist in decision making relating to orchard inputs or we can go as far as organising contractors to complete the work.”

Avopic is their own specialised orchard management and harvesting business – which has 20 hydraladas, dedicated pruning and chipping equipment and experienced staff.

Supplied by Kauripak

Page 32

HORTICULTURE

Coast & Country

Soil bacteria and fungi breakdown Humus is formed by the decomposing action of soil microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, breaking down animal and vegetable material into elements which can be used by growing plants.

Technically, humus itself should be distinguished from the by-products it forms, which are active constituents of organic fertiliser. Because of its low specific weight and high surface area, humus has a profound effect upon the physical properties of mineral soils with regard to improved soil structure, water intake and reservoir capacity,

ability to resist erosion and the ability to hold chemical elements in a form readily accessible to plants. A simple definition: Humas is the organic portion of the soil remaining after prolonged microbial decomposition.

An interesting fact is humus also assumes an important role as a fertility component of all soils, far in excess of the percentage contribution it makes to the total soil mass. Humus adds to the soil structure by coating mineral particles and holding them together and thus

serves as a major reservoir of plant nutrients.

In summary, although humus generally makes up only a small percentage of the total soil mass, its value to the overall picture cannot be overrated. Without humus, soils would be largely unproductive and merely increasing the amount of conventional fertilisers would soon reach the point of diminishing returns. On the other hand, organic, biological or conventional farming which actively employs humus and fosters its retention, has proven to be a cost-effective alternative to chemi-

cal treatments. Besides the fact, that increasing humus actually improves soils long-term, while simultaneously increasing nutrition and decreasing the effect of pollutants.

NZ Humates raw humate can be applied directly to soil or added to your fertiliser or lime. Humates can also be incorporated into any composting process to speed up the composting time. NZ Humates has also developed two new liquid products combining the benefits of nitrogen, fulvic and humic acid.

HORTICULTURE

PH 07 578 0030

Page 33

Horticulture-specific tractors two businesses who truly understand the needs of their horticultural customers.

Gayne Carroll, director of Agtek, is quick to point out that it is the Goldoni dealers, the ones out there talking to the end users, who are the real champions.

“They not only know the Goldoni product, but know the hort business and what their clients are doing and what they can do to help them when it comes to the right equipment,” says Gayne.

“We don’t want just any dealer, they have to have the same horticultural focus and passion that we do. That’s what’s made us number one in kiwifruit.”

To celebrate Goldoni’s eight years in New Zealand and to coincide with the National Fieldays at Mystery creek, Goldoni is offering 24 months interest free on all new Goldoni tractor purchases made, but hurry this has to be for a limited time only.

CHICKEN FERTILISER & LIME Located in what many would call the heart of modern tractor manufacturing, Goldoni is in good company being based in the industrial region of Modena, Italy.

Italy and the Modena region are steeped in history, with Goldoni being a part of that history for the better part of the last century.

Established in 1926, manufacturing irrigation pumps, they soon went and found their calling by

ensure their needs are met. We are the only tractor manufacturer that builds only for the specialist horticultural sector, everyone else is focussed on agriculture and their hort tractors show this”.

For example, Goldoni is the only tractor manufacturer with a factorybuilt tractor for the “niche” kiwifruit sector, where a superlow seat height is crucial for safely and comfortably driving under low pergolas.

“Everyone else is an aftermarket adaption,” says Giovanni.

Combine Goldoni’s horticultural focuses to that of Agtek, the NZ Goldoni Distributor and you have

specialising in the manufacture of “niche” tractors to the horticultural market.

Goldoni is still a privately owned company and Mr Goldoni still takes a very keen interest in the quality control by visiting the factory floor daily, after all it is the heart of his business. For a tour of the Goldoni factory from your arm chair simply go to the following link; http://www.agtek.co.nz/video. aspx?opt=p23&c=2 Export marketing manager Giovanni Marzoli says “Goldoni is specific to the horticultural market and works with the customer to

cken certified organic chi We sell standard & e. nur ma ctive, all year round It is a natural, cost effeture, maize crops, pas for r ilise fert N.P.K small blocks. market gardens and ead. spr and t car , ply We sup le in bags or bulk.

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Kiwifruit’s King of Comfort 2 years interest FREE for a limited time!

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The Quasar features: • Lowest seat height available • Kiwifruit’s “Gold Standard” in operator comfort • Historically proven first class after-sales service • Proven reliability and performance Now you can have the king of comfort in your own orchard at a fielday special of two years interest free.

Make the move to the gold standard by calling your local dealer below for conditions and to arrange a test drive in your own orchard today.

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FROST PROTECTION

Page 34

Coast & Country

A horticultural hurdle Frost protection in orchards is an enduring annual risk and prone to fashion. A discerning horticulturalist can date orchard photos over recent decades by the frost protection being used.

Fire, smudge pots, diesel heaters and air movement are favourites and have been tried in various forms and combinations to battle frosts, with helicopters being added in recent years.

Frost is the icing of water vapour from saturated air.

It forms when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the

adjacent air, as well as below the freezing point of water.

Water within the plant cells expands as it turns to ice, rupturing the cell walls.

Young spring shoots and blossoms are more vulnerable than the older limbs because the cells have thinner walls and higher water contents.

One good frost can wipe out a crop.

There are two types of frost – radiation and advection frost. The radiation frost is the most common.

It begins at ground level and gradually rises. These frosts happen when there is little wind, temperature inversions, clear skies and low humidity.

The day’s heat is radiated out at night, particularly when there is no cloud barrier to prevent it.

Advection frosts occur when a cold air mass moves into the area displacing warm air.

When this type of frost occurs, some characteristics of radiation frost are also seen as factors causing radiation frosts to still be present.

Advection frosts can occur earlier in the night and while the freezing process is the same as for radiation frosts, the effects are usually seen on the upper part of the plants.

The tail end of a depression, which is associated with a clearing of cloudy and possibly rainy conditions during the day to give a clear still night, favours frosts.

A cloudy day followed by a

cloudless night produces the greatest frost risk. The cloudy day reduces the sun’s ability to heat the soil surface. When followed by a clear night, what little heat is stored quickly dissipates. Only a small amount of cloud at night is required to prevent a frost from developing.

The dew point is the air temperature at which dew or condensation begins to form.

Low dew point indicates dry air, which means that very little heat is released as the air cools and as moisture condenses.

This leads to a rapid fall in temperature and a greater risk of frost.

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In 2002, PhotoMax was shown in HortResearch trials to increase the photosynthesis of grape leaves by 20 per cent.

With more photosynthesis, the plant works harder metabolising nutrients into more dry matter and protein, which leads to a higher feed quality and often more milk produced.

Dairy pasture trials in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Chile over the last five seasons have found reduced nitrate levels in the grass leaf tests, with a greater than 20 per cent decrease, being common.

One $13/ha application can influence growth for two grazing rounds.

PhotoMax is easily incorporated into any liquid spray programs. It is available through Farmlands or directly from BdMax at www.bdmax.co.nz

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PH 07 578 0030

FROST PROTECTION

Page 35

Sleeping through threat of frost Andrew Stuart gets more shut eye now he has invested in a Defender Frost Fan to protect his kiwifruit crop from Jack Frost.

Andrew and Lynette have six hectares of kiwifruit in Pukehina, on the other side of Te Puke in the Bay of Plenty.

They recently purchased a Defender Frost Fan from FMR and say it has been a worthwhile investment.

The fan rotates automatically over the canopy of the entire six hectare orchard and turns itself on and off according to the temperature.

Previously, Andrew’s frost protection system involved him getting out of bed and driving a tractor, dragging a ‘heat dragon’ behind it.

“You would get the phone call and have to get out of bed for hours, sometimes from 11pm to 7am, just after sunup.

“In a bad frost you could be up for six or seven hours and the orchard was getting to big, I couldn’t cover it all with the tractor.”

Andrew looked at the

option of water for frost-protection, but says it was about another $20,000 more.

He says the Defender Frost Fan does a great job of bringing the temperature up 3-4 degrees within about 15 minutes of turning itself on.

There are probes throughout the orchard which are connected to a website where Andrew can see the temperatures lifting straight away.

The fan alerts Andrew every time it turns on or off.

“It sends you a text message when it turns on – so you know that it is working.”

It is set to start at 0.8 degrees at the moment, but Andrew says he may change that.

The fan turns itself off when the temperature gets back up to two degrees.

Andrew says a bonus of the Defender Frost Fan is that it’s under 50 decibels, which avoids having to get certain resource consents.

“It’s the quietest one. It’s only 48 decibels.” Another advantage was

the larger area this fan covers eliminating the need for two fans.

It is sited specifically in the orchard

by FMR specialist frost protection team who take into consideration the orchard’s topography and the direction the cold air drift comes in, which all impacts on frosts says Andrew.

“It’s not as simple as putting it in the middle of the orchard.”

Frost is an un-returnable risk for kiwifruit orchards, says Andrew.

“You can lose a whole year’s income.

We’ve had cases where we have been down 90 per cent.

“You can lose 15 to 20 per cent of your total income in a mild winter.”

This season, temperatures have dropped to about -1 degrees, which “would have caused damage” without the fan says Andrew.

“We haven’t seen it get down to -3 degrees this year though.”

By Sheryl Brown

IRRIGATION

Page 36

Coast & Country

Priority to retard water quality decline To survive in the future dairy farmers have to change their farming methods according to Reporoa farmer Ian Bell.

Ian and Helen Bell are dairy farming in Reporoa on free draining pumice soils.

They are running a high input system, milking 855 Friesian cows on 270 effective hectares, doing an average of 465 milk solids.

Yet they are leaching half of the average nitrogen losses that are being recorded on the Upper Waikato pumice soils.

The farm was showcased on a

field day during the large herds dairy conference after being analysed by Dairy NZ, Fonterra, Balance Agri Nutrients and Environment Waikato for its nutrient efficiency and environmental performance.

The study was done to better understand the economic impacts of lower nitrogen leaching farm systems.

“It was apparent that the farm system that Ian and Helen were running was both a lower impact farm system environmentally, while maintaining a sound level of profitability,” says Agribusiness consultant Dr Alison Dewes.

“The farm imports around

$150,000 worth of valuable nutrient in the bought in feed, so the capture, and re use of this onto crops such as chicory that utilise both water and nutrient at critical times of the year is also embedded into the farm system.”

The Upper Waikato Catchment has priority status under the EW regional plan for 2010. The first step is to retard the water quality decline.

Alison says farmers should pre prepare for change.

“The whole catchment is going to be looked at – not just farmers.

There will be potential changes to land use.”

Previously farmers have not had

Ian Bell says farmers need to change their farming practices. to think about their irrigation or their effluent run off into waterways says Alison.

“This is how we have operated for the past 50 to 100 years because we didn’t think much about the effects, but the public are saying it can’t keep going on like that.

“Farming is a legacy and what you leave behind – you don’t want to wreck it for your grandchildren.”

Ian is only applying 50kg nitrogen

per hectare, but his nitrogen conversion efficiency is 10 per cent above the Upper Waikato average.

“140kg of Nitrogen per hectare is quite typical,” says Alison.

“Ian is using about one third of that.

He has increased his effluent area from 10 per cent – which is expected – up to 30 per cent.

“If everybody was doing this we could actually retard the water quality.”

By Sheryl Brown

Dr. Alison Dewes spoke to farmers at the large herd dairy conference on reducing nitrogen leaching.

BOP Trenching & Irrigation o We als

PH 07 578 0030

IRRIGATION

Page 37

Pumping an essential commodity Water is an increasingly important commodity which people need a reliable access to, without wastage, says Mark Cook.

Mark is back to doing what he knows best in the Bay of Plenty – helping people find solutions for their water and irrigation issues.

Having worked for over 20 years in the industry, Mark, who has a Certificate in Ag Engineering from Massey University specialising in Water and Irrigation Systems, has opened his own business – Bay Pumps and Irrigation.

“People want somebody with experience, who know what they are talking about, who can find solutions for their problems with water and irrigation, saving both time and money.

“Water is an essential commodity in people’s lives and businesses and they need good, fast, reliable service.”

Mark is offering an excellent special of 25 per cent off RRP on all cash sales of Stallion Pumps and accessories during May. “That is better than any field day special you will see.”

Bay Pumps and Irrigation can repair and service all your water and irrigation needs,

Mark Cook from Bay Pumps is offering 25 per cent off Stallion Pumps during May.

for Stallion Pumps in the Western Bay of Plenty. They can loan out free pumps during repairs or maintenance.

By Sheryl Brown Contact Mark for a free quote.

e We servic of all makes pumps

whether it is putting down residential wells in the Mount or Papamoa, water tanks and filtration, setting up irrigation for crops, frost protection, sports fields and lawns or putting in sewage and drainage pumps. Mark has been involved in several of the Tauranga City

Council sports fields irrigation installations and maintenance.

Bay Pumps and Irrigation offer an array of makes and models including Stallion pumps, Grundfos, Davey, Dab, Onga and Lowara. Bay Pumps and Irrigation is also the master dealer

Market leaders in their field The high quality range of Italian-engineered Dondi products makes them the recognised market leader in their field.

“The Dondi product is first class. We are a specialist, niche player and saw great synergies with our distributor Agtek, whom has a true commitment to service and relationships, which is a perfect fit for us”, says Dondi’s national sales manager Paolo Pettirossi.

The Dondi doesn’t just clean field drains, it cuts them as well and at speeds far in excess of what any digger can do.

Dondi has a full range of rotary ditcher models and sizes to suit and “you could be surprised at how little it may cost for a machine that suits your needs”, says Paolo.

COUNTRY LIVING

Page 38

Coast & Country

Sore muscles?

Skeletal muscles are some of the most amazing human tissues. Our muscles are collections of individual muscle cells called fibres.

These are wrapped into bundles and these bundles form our muscles. Muscles use a huge amount of energy and it is no surprise to find muscle cells have lots of energy producing mitochondria – these are like tiny engines which make the energy our muscles need.

Myopathy We only tend to notice our muscles when they complain. This can be anything from over exercising through to diseases which affect muscles. Myopathy refers to any disease of the muscle and myalgia to any pain caused by poor muscle function. The most common muscle diseases I help people with include Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR), Fibromyalgia and increasingly, Statin Myopathy.

PMR is becoming increasingly common in the 60-plus age group and is a chronic, autoimmune inflammatory muscle disease, often affecting the shoulders and hip areas. Fibromyalgia results in pain in joints, muscles and tendons and

is generally part of syndromes such as CFS. Statin Myopathy is a very recent disease caused by cholesterol-lowering medications, which also block Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinol) which is essential for muscle function.

Most muscle diseases affect the function of muscle mitochondria, which is why persistent fatigue is often part of these problems. PMR especially and Fibromyalgia has a strong component of immune system generated inflammation.

Key to improvement The key to long-term improvements with these problems is to reduce the output of immune system generated inflammation, while helping muscle cell mitochondria to perform better.

This second component is really important as we need to add nutrients which help create energy and the nutrients which neutralise an excess of free radicals. I find the greatest success comes from a very intensive period of nutritional supplementation, followed by a gradual move towards a maintenance programme. Of course these need to be personalised.

Statin Myopathy is a little simpler as it is a single-cause disease

where muscle mitochondria are starved of Coenzyme Q10, which is essential for energy conversion. This results in lower energy produced and more free radicals.

Adding CoQ10 and some good antioxidants normally helps things come back into balance. If your muscles are complaining they may be telling you they need some urgent nutritional attention.

John Arts is the founder of Abundant Health. For product information visit www.abundant.co.nz If you have questions or would like a free health plan you can email John at john@johnarts.co.nz or phone 07 578 9051 or 0800 423 559.

You can join his newsletter at www.johnarts.co.nz Read more from John at www.sunlive.co.nz

Bringing home expo to the Bay Interior design, home heating and even double glazed windows are just some of the topics the Tauranga Home Show is here to help with once again.

The 12th annual Tauranga Home Show is back to showcase lifestyle, home and health needs, inspiring ideas for anyone who has an interest in the wellbeing of their home and their family.

The Home Show 2011 runs for three days at Baypark Stadium, from May 13 to 15. The showcase is the region’s premier home and lifestyle event with its huge range of home and lifestyle products including top bathroomware, fine furniture, interior design tips, alfresco lifestyle spas and pools, new homes and house builders, interior renovators, a special women’s health and beauty area, a special area for the kids and a lot more.

Organiser Graeme Martin from Bay Events says the show was a great success last year and they were hoping to make it even better this time.

As with previous years, the Home Show is divided

Presents:

Re g i s t e r e d

Master B uilder MEMBER

into themed pavilions. Pavilion one is home of the Health and Beauty Expo – exploring healthy ways of life, both inside and out.

The Westpac Pavilion boasts the big home help, from practical solutions for winter heating and insulation, to designer flooring, interiors and furniture.

Pavilion three has the finest interior designs on display from floors, walls and windows. Experience the high-end home entertainment systems or learn about interior design fashion for winter to spice up the home.

The Taste Tauranga Marquee is next with the live cooking demonstrations from Chef and author Peter Blakeway in the new Fisher & Paykel kitchen.

And the Spruce Up Company’s Entertainment Zone is back – where you can listen to the music, eat, refresh, dance and play your way into the final marquee, Marquee Central, with a wide selection of products and services and a chance for those with some pennies left in their pockets for a bit of a bargain.

For more information email graeme@bayevents.co.nz or for exhibitor enquires please email tracey@bayevents.co.nz.

COUNTRY LIVING

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Page 39

Review of subdivision rules The Thames-Coromandel District Council is well under way with a review of its district plan.

This document contains the rules which constrain subdivision of land throughout the district.

Although there is a lot of ‘consultation’ yet to happen, I believe the outcome will make subdivision more complex and costly. We see this in other areas which have already adopted changes. More and more, professional reporting on environmental and landscape issues is required.

Flexibility At present, the rules are rather easy to understand with a rural subdivision needing an average lot size of 20ha. That means as long as there is a total of 40ha in the original block, then it can be subdivided into two lots. One block could be a small lifestyle block with the balance being a farming block. This provides for flexibility in design and a variety of lot sizes to meet demand.

Council has published a direction setting document which outlines the considerations for its review. Reading on the council website suggests that if subdividing in the future, there will have to be greater consideration to natural landscape and ecological features – or Significant Natural Areas (SNAs).

Changing focus Currently, in addition to the 20ha average lot size rule, you can subdivide if you permanently protect 5ha of natural ecological/ cultural feature, but this size limit rules out sensitive wetlands and water boundaries. It appears this rule may have focused too much on bush. I’m picking that the new rules will focus more on lowland forest and wetlands of which 82 per cent are located on private land and generally in need of restoration, according to council.

Given such wetland is environmentally highly valued we would expect some subdivision concessions to be given to owners who are prepared to enhance and permanently protect these areas,

along with the banks of streams in the district. For example, in the Western Bay of Plenty District, the protection of an area of 5000Sqm (about one acre) of wetland or 500m of stream bank generates an ability to subdivide a lifestyle block.

When the documents are available you will have to be vigilant in checking what SNAs are registered on your property. Their significance may be debatable with council, but be aware – they also may offer you some potential for development that you otherwise wouldn’t have had. Currently 59 per cent of the district land is classified a significant natural area.

For specific advice on your property’s current subdivision potential or future prospects, you should immediately contact a professional surveying company very familiar with the evolving subdivision rules.

For further information phone 07 863 8962 or email btrail@surveyingservices.co.nz

The farmer goes to town A lone tourist who is passing through the suburbs on the way to town by car, unfortunately experiences mechanical problems with the automobile.

The car stalls and the tourist parks the car by the side of the road and waits for help.

Not much later, a farmer happens to pass by with a truck full of farm animals. The farmer offers the tourist a lift to town and proceeds to explain that he is bringing his farm animals to the town market, where they will be auctioned off to the highest bidders.

Well, it so happens that on the way to the town, the farmer being so engrossed in his story, unintentionally wanders into the other side of road where another vehicle is approaching in the other direction.

The farmer realizes his absent mindness and attempts to avoid the possible collision with the other vehicle. He just misses the other car, but unfortunately crashes the truck into the side of the road. The tourist winds up thrown into a ditch and suffers broken ribs and a broken arm and leg and is obviously in extreme pain. The farm animals are all messed up very badly and the farmer, although remaining inside the vehicle, still suffers cuts and scrapes.

The farmer gets out of the truck and looks at his farm animals.

The chickens all have broken limbs and can barely move. "These chickens are all useless! Nobody will want to buy these chickens anymore!" bellows the farmer. With that, he grabs and loads his shotgun and blows away the chickens.

Next, he sees the pigs and they are all lame and bleeding profusely.

"These pigs are all worthless now!

I'll get nothing for them!" yells the farmer. With great rage, the farmer reloads his shotgun and blows away the pigs.

The farmer looks at the sheep and they all have broken limbs and their wool is all bloodied.

"Worthless sheep!" screams the farmer and with that, he reloads his shotgun and blows away the sheep. Meanwhile, the injured tourist witnesses all of this carnage in great horror.

The farmer then moves over to the side of the ditch and looks at the tourist. "Are you okay down there?" asked the farmer.

"Never felt better in my entire life!" the tourist yelled back.

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COUNTRY LIVING

Page 40

Coast & Country

A city kid in the country All my grandchildren live in Wellington.

And it was a big thrill for a Granny when Eloise, my son’s eldest, was considered old enough to fly up for a visit as an unaccompanied minor at age six and three quarters.

As a city-fied kid living on a small section, I wondered how she would take to being able to roam my

one hectare. On her first visit, aged three with her dad, she had found my big animals scary in the extreme.

I don’t know if it’s been learning to cope with the big kids at a school of 900 or whether she had been psyching herself up, but within ten minutes of arriving late on Monday afternoon she was asking if we could go out and visit the cows, donkeys and goats.

Well the goats were delighted to find someone more their size, the donkeys were, as usual, somewhat aloof and the cows acted like complete wimps. By the next morning, Eloise was disappearing into the paddock at regular intervals, being smooched by the goats, tolerated by the donks and getting no nearer than a metre to those daft cows.

There was a lot of learning to do. Cows

have udders and don’t produce milk out of their bottoms, as was previously thought. We paid a visit to next door’s dairy shed during the afternoon milking, when she got to watch ‘cups on’, milk “swooshing” through the glasses, automatic cup removers and some 300 cows at a time. I’m not sure just how much was absorbed of my explanation of what all the cooling and cleaning equipment did.

Next time we’ll go for the wash-up and hope for a tanker to call.

I was strip grazing the latest paddock and there was a degree of horror at the amount of various shapes of dung produced by six animals. The donkeys are vaguely toilet trained (they create piles here and there), but the fact that goats and cows seem oblivious to bodily functions took a bit of getting used to when

Eloise with Snowy and the donks. you come from a polite household.

We spent a morning potting up winter bedding plants and then it was time for some more action so we drove to Hamilton Gardens to see the lake and then whizzed round the Paradise Gardens at child speed. Then it was off to Hamilton Lake, where every single item in the adventure playground had to be trialled, sharing it with a hundred or so other kids. Granny was impressed no end at the arm strength displayed on the monkey bars.

The next day it was the zoo, the many ups and downs of which were also largely done at child speed. Granny’s legs were well worked out.

On Thursday when we arrived at the airport at 9.30am it was the first good fog of the winter. Disarray, huge queues and she was rebooked on a 5pm flight. So we joined the rest of the populace at Pak’nSave, which filled an hour and then spent part of the afternoon playing Scrabble, where she insisted on finding her own words, so it took a while. Then a fond farewell to the animals and back to the airport to watch her climb aboard with nary a look back.

I think it was a success and I enjoyed it hugely. My most notable achievement was probably knowing all the words to “I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts” – both verses and the chorus – which I was required to type out, after which it got practised several dozen times.

Agricultural myths There is a push today to sell the farmer a philosophy based on stimulating soil microbes with molasses and table sugars.

Microbes cannot utilise mono-saccharides such as molasses. Some often advocate table sugar as well, another mono-saccharide which cannot be utilised by microbes. You can leave either out on the table for the next thousand years and no bacteria will grow in them. In fact, table sugar and molasses are often used as preservatives. Humic acid and the other acids they recommend are all available as a result of microbial activity on organic matter, part of the continuing cycle.

This is a natural process and need not be bought; it will come alive itself if and when the soils nutrient ratios are addressed. Organic acids are there as a result of microbiological decay. Like all microbes, they are there as a result of certain conditions. Applying them out of the bag makes no sense, it only makes a lot of money for the seller, but little if any, for you the buyer.

My old Tutor Dr Wm Albrecht used to emphasise those microbes and worms are a result of soil conditions, not the cause of it. Putting microbes in a hostile environment is both foolish and very expensive. While you may see results for a short time, the level of fertility will dictate how long it will last. Get the fertility right first and all the rest will fall in line.

The application of nitrogen in the form of ammonia (NH4) also advocated by the molasses-sugar regime, makes no sense on soils under 5.8pH as there is little bacteria available to convert it to nitrates (NO3) and all it will do is purge the soil of nutrients as it cleaves to the same exchange sites as the minor elements do. Nitrogen should never be applied out of the bag for grasslands; its availability is as a result of a biological process called the nitrogen cycle. See below.

The atmosphere contains 79 per cent nitrogen, as nitrogen gas N2 it is first appropriated by bacteria and converted to plant available nitrate NO3, in multiple steps. To try to apply it out of the bag will and can only result in stuffing up the plants chemistry as in nature, (the nitrogen cycle) nitrogen comes available in tandem with all other elements. The temperature must be right, the pH of the substrate must be right and the soil-air-moisture must be conducive to biological decay, otherwise all you will be creating is an ensiling process, the by-products of which are methane – butane – propane gasses and formaldehydes, all preservatives. Pushing nature’s envelope outside this natural cycle is not good science.

By Peter J Lester

PH 07 578 0030

COAST & COUNTRY

Waterless

Irresponsible behaviour Your photo competition that features on the back page of your paper gives a disturbing insight into the irresponsible behaviour those involved in our farming industry.

It is no surprise that the agricultural industry has a disturbingly high number of accidents and deaths.

Caption One: Chainsaw stupidity, The chainsaw operator has no eye protection, no chaps, no gloves, no brains. He has total disregard for his child’s safety.

When the log is cut does it fall on the child? When the chain bar jumps, does it cut the child’s head

off? Or maybe just leaves a gash into the little boy’s chest. Wow what fun eh? Great photo.

Caption two: 4 wheel bike playpen.

Do these little girls play on dad’s ATV when unattended? Do

Raw milk good enough fresh from the vat I was interested to read your article on the goat farmers who sell raw unpasteurised milk to customers at their gate.

Now that we have TB and brucellosis free herds, I see no reason why this cannot become normal practice for those who choose to do it.

I am in my 70s and have been drinking fresh Jersey milk (cream and all) straight from the cow for 68 years with no ill effects. My children drank it from infancy until they left home and my son at 46, still drinks it, along with his family.

When I shifted to town and had to change to pasteurised milk, I found it hard to adjust to even the blue top

product, let alone the skimmed milk.

If town people were able to buy milk from farmers at a cheaper price than the shop product, while still paying the farmer more than he gets from his dairy company, everyone would be happy.

Dairy farm hygiene regulations are very strict now, with milk having to meet very high standards on a daily basis, so there should be little trouble in maintaining suitable standards.

There would also be the added advantage of children learning that milk is a natural product coming from a cow, rather than a bottle.

Don Shaw, Te Awamutu

New employment trial periods As from April 1, 2011 all employers are able to employ new employees on a trial period of up to 90 calendar days.

While this concept sounds beneficial for employers, care must be taken with how these trial periods are used, otherwise the trial period will be null and void.

To be compliant, a 90 day trial period clause must form part of the applicable employment agreement and state that the employer can dismiss the employee without the employee being able to take a personal grievance for reasons of unjustified dismissal.

A trial period is voluntary and must be agreed to by the employee and the employer. For this reason, a written employment agreement containing a trial period provision should be signed by both the employer and the employee before the employee commences work.

Any notice of termination of employment must be given within a trial period, even if the actual dismissal does not become effective until after the trial period ends.

Employers are required to act in accordance with their good faith obligations in respect of trial periods and this requires them to be responsive and communicative. As such, if an employee requests reasons for a dismissal which

occurred within a 90 day trial period the employer is required to provide such reasons under their good faith obligations.

A 90 day trial period only affects an employee’s right to challenge an unjustified dismissal. It does not affect their ability to take other legal action such as discrimination or harassment occurring within a trial period.

Any use of a 90 day trial period will need to follow a carefully timed and documented process and any attempt to rely on it will require care.

If you have any employment queries you would like assistance with, please email Wendy wendy@employmentlawservices.co.nz This article is intended as a point of reference and should not be relied on as a substitute for professional advice.

Specialist advice should always be sought in relation to any particular circumstances and no liability will be accepted for any losses incurred by those relying solely on this article.

Page 41

they drink the attractive pink solution in the tank?

Maybe they only lick their fingers after playing on the bike.

Does this behaviour become “normal” and natural to play on a ATV work vehicle. Maybe the little girls fluke at starting up the bike that would be a great laugh and think of the photo for your paper when they get crushed under a 300kg motorbike.

Good on ya mate. She’ll be right.

PS. Yeah I’m a old boring killjoy.

However I get pissed off at my exorbitant ACC levy and the brain dead behaviour of farmers and their workers who put at risk children’s safety for a few giggles.

Paul Kirtzels, Hamilton

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BUILDING & HEATING

Page 42

Coast & Country

Investment for free hot water Free hot water for the next 30 years should sound pretty good.

Solar water heaters vary in their details, but they all do the same basic things: gather heat in a solar collector; transfer the heat, directly or indirectly, to the water supply; and store the heated water until it’s used. They use relatively simple, time-tested technology, which is one reason they are a best bet in renewable energy.

When planning and then building a home, there are so many decisions to make.

“One thing you definitely want to make the right decision on is

your hot water requirements,” says Neil Pratt of SolarPeak.

“Today, more and more people are choosing to add solar water heating to their investment. Not only do they immediately enhance the value of their home, but they reap the benefits for many years to come.”

It’s important to understand solar water-heating systems have very low operating costs. Whilst it initially costs less to install a conventional cylinder than solar, it’s much less expensive to operate solar, therefore at some point, the initial difference is made up. When all costs for purchase, installation, maintenance and operation are

taken into account, a solar water heater usually equals an electric heater after just eight years. From then on, through the expected 30-year life of the solar system, you’ve got free hot water.

Many factors will influence making the choice of a solar water heater. Finding a system which is substantially cheaper than others probably has a reason, such as lower quality components. There’s no substitute for quality – don’t take shortcuts with an investment like this. You will spend a certain amount of money to heat water in any case, so choose to do it with solar energy. Your wallet, and the environment, will appreciate it.

A strategy to build up Hamilton

affordable cabins and homes

Hamilton’s economic future will be set by the “golden triangle” – Auckland, the BOP and the Waikato – and it must play to its strengths.

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Its strengths - small, compact, located on the main North Island access, a university, research institutes and an international airport. But it should aspire to be New Zealand’s most international city, defined by the value of exports and international investment per regional capita and percentage of residents drawn from overseas and international visitor numbers. This aspiration is outside the prejudice of New Zealand definitions of Hamilton and lets it benchmark against the highest standards and aspirations. If achieved, domestic admiration will follow. It is pointless to try and impress New Zealanders; the birth rate is below replacement and population growth will come from immigration.

The only $billion turnover private firm the Waikato has headquartered in it is AFFCO. Gallaghers may reach that turnover. In the meantime, the most serious private endeavour is Fonterra, which has located its global control of production and processing in Hamilton.

Hamilton must develop, retain and attract more knowledge-based firms, which requires sophisticated leadership and staff and all the associated infrastructure and support service around them and the community therein. There are three levers to pull.

First, greater support from the city for its pre-schools, primary schools and secondary schools. Improving Education Review Office reports will carry a lot of weight with the highly-skilled migrants Hamilton needs to attract.

Second, Hamilton’s greatest asset is its university. The problem experienced now is that Hamilton doesn’t feel quite like a university city because its university presently occupies the “wrong side of the river”. The Waikato Expressway will change all that. Once built, depending on the crucial location of the junctions, the expressway will attract commerce to the East and the North of Hamilton. Instead of asking the university to locate downtown on the West Bank, Hamilton must plan for the city’s commercial aspects to increasingly locate on the East Bank, closer to the university.

Third, the region could probably use more industrial parks like Innovation Waikato, but with different specialisations. Hamilton has a small aviation cluster, but also needs an information technology and communications cluster, adjacent to the university which is especially strong in this discipline.

So the context is the golden triangle.

The opportunities are great. To realise them, Hamilton must rethink how it positions itself. Its focus and benchmarks are international. Tactics must build to retain and attract a highly skilled, positive workforce and community, a richer investment environment and an excellent infrastructure.

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Dr Andrew West is an ecological scientist who more recently became a Waikato businessman. He has a long history of involvement in the sheep and beef industries and more recently in the dairy industry. He is now a strategist who works part time for the Morrinsville-based animal nutrition company Seales Ltd, is a professional director on a range of company boards and runs his own consulting company. He and his wife have three teenage children, they own a small block on the outskirts of Cambridge (sheep and alpacas) and for relaxation Dr West rides a Triumph Daytona 675 super sports motorcycle. “Red of course.”

BUILDING & HEATING

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Page 43

Get warm with a mulled wine One of the more pleasant ways to warm up during the cold winter months is with a glass of warm mulled wine.

In the northern hemisphere it is traditionally associated with Christmas, but in New Zealand it is associated with gatherings of friends on cool nights in front of a blazing fire.

A combination of wine, spices, fruit and sugar, it was believed to be a healthy tonic and a guard against winter ills. Mulled wine can be made relatively cheaply and often works better if made with a rougher, cheaper red wine with merlot and shiraz being a good choice.

White wine can be used, but it lacks the body and warmth of red mulled wine.

The recipe below can be changed to suit personal taste, especially the amount of spices and it’s a fun experiment.

Basic mulled wine recipe

1.5 litres of red wine 4 small oranges 1 lemon 12 cloves 2 cinnamon sticks Piece of ginger, peeled and cut in two 6 tbsp of sugar 2 tbsp honey 50g of raisins Grate the zest from one of the oranges and juice, then put six cloves each into two of the other oranges. Quarter the final orange and lemon. Place all the above into a large stainless steel, glass or ceramic saucepan. Don’t use an aluminum pan as the wine will react with the metal to produce an unpleasant taste. Add the wine, honey, sugar, cinnamon sticks, ginger and raisins and place over a low heat. Heat the mixture to just below simmering for 20 minutes. Don’t let the wine boil as this will remove the alcohol from the drink and can cause the spices to become bitter. Remove from the heat and let cool a little. Use a large spoon to place the oranges and lemon in the bottom of a punch bowl – any large glass serving bowl will do. Pour the wine onto the fruit through a sieve to remove the raisins and cinnamon sticks. Ladle the wine into mugs or heatproof glasses and serve. For a mulled wine with a bit more punch, add a cup of brandy.

Air quality through heating scheme Air Doctor are specialists in Heat Pumps and air conditioning installation and are IQP certified so can take care of all service and maintenance requirements, says Levi Wilson, director of Air Doctor. Levi is a Trade qualified refrigeration and air conditioning engineer.

Air Doctor is part of the Environment Bay of Plenty “hot swap” scheme in Rotorua, which is removing old fireplaces and wood burners which are inefficient and replacing them with heat pumps for better air quality and heating.

Indoor air quality is one of Air Doctors specialities.

With the air in an average building being two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, this is an area where Air Doctor can make a difference – not only heating or cooling the building, but turning it into a healthy space, great for asthma and allergy sufferers.

Which is one of the reasons Air Doctor has teamed up with AHI Carrier/Toshiba, as its product promotes improved indoor air quality.

Air Doctor has been in the Bay of Plenty for about three years and is just about to launch into Matamata.

“The previous Toshiba dealer in Matamata had decided to move on and Toshiba realised there was still a huge potential market in that area so approached Air Doctor about expanding into the Waikato,” says Levi.

“We were pleased to get on board with Toshiba and saw it as a way to grow our business.”

With the cooler months not too far away, it is time to think about not just warming the home, but making sure the air quality is good says Levi. It’s also a great time to have your unit serviced for trouble-free heating.

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Page 44

RETIREMENT

Coast & Country

Beautiful residential living in Te Puke Set in five acres of beautiful gardens, Te Puke Country Lodge and Te Puke Retirement Village is a stunning facility offering a secure, peaceful environment for the elderly to live and relax in.

Having a hospital and resthome means village residents can take advantage of short or long term care on site.

There are a number of services and recreational activities provided to allow residents to maintain the life they are accustomed to including a hairdressing service, games room, snooker and pool table.

Please feel welcome to visit the facility or make enquiries by contacting nurse manager, Jan Grimmer NZRN.

The lodge and residential village are privately owned and provide residents with a high standard of nursing care, ensuring they are always treated with respect, compassion and dignity.

Te Puke Country Lodge owner Jamie Main says the spacious grounds and amenities combined with the temperate

climate makes the lodge an ideal choice for retirement living.

“Residents often want to enhance their rooms with precious possessions and furniture – we encourage this as it strengthens our resident’s sense of security and belonging.”

The Te Puke Country Lodge and Te Puke Retirement Village have self-contained independent units as well as studio apartments within the resthome and hospital with 24 hour registered nursing care.

Choosing a retirement village People considering a move into a retirement village usually make their decision about which village to go to based on factors such as price, location and amenities provided by the village.

Te Puke Country Lodge Home, Hospital and Village

While these are very relevant factors to take into account, there are other less obvious things that should be considered before the decision is made.

Most retirement villages are businesses run for the profit of the owners, others are run by church organisations or charities. Before deciding on a village, it is important to know who owns it and something about the ownership, financial stability, and backing for the enterprise.

Some villages provide a licence to occupy the unit in exchange for the use of the resident’s money.

Others offer a freehold title in the name of the resident. That difference could be significant if the village runs into financial difficulties. People should understand exactly what they are getting for their money and what can happen if things go wrong.

There are a range of ways in which the different villages handle the sale of an apartment when the resident either dies or moves out. Some of those processes mean that people can be waiting a long time for their money to be refunded.

The amount that the village can deduct from the

money to be repaid when the apartment sells, also varies from village to village.

An important consideration is the arrangements that are in place should the resident require a higher level of care. Most villages require residents to move out if they become incapable of independent living, but others can cater for people in that situation by increasing the level of service provided within their own apartment, or in a different facility on the same site.

The Retirement Villages Act requires all retirement villages to comply with certain minimum levels of service relating to all of these matters, but many villages provide additional levels of service and standards, which often comes at additional cost.

It is Harris Tate’s strong recommendation is when shifting into retirement villages, people and their families have a good understanding of all of these factors before making a final decision on a village. The financial implications of making the wrong decision can be serious. We can provide some guidance and advice in making these important decisions. For more advice visit www.harristate.co.nz

NEW FARM DAIRIES Be included in the 2011 edition!

The publication will showcase a range of new farm dairies, offering all businesses involved in these projects the opportunity to highlight their particular area of involvement.

NEW FARM DAIRIES IS GOING NEW ZEALAND WIDE!

32,000 Copies FREE

If you have a New Farm Dairy project planned or currently under construction please contact Lois McKinley on 027 281 7427 or email: lois@thesun.co.nz

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RETIREMENT

Rebate for retirement In a unique marketing initiative, Ocean Shores is for a limited time offering prospective residents the chance to obtain a villa or apartment in the retirement village and receive a $20,000 rebate on the settlement price.

“There’s a large demand in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato area for people wanting to live at Ocean Shores,” says village manager Sandy Quigley.

“But the soft housing market has sometimes made it difficult for people to sell their existing family home and make the move.”

On the other hand, the market value of villas and apartments at Ocean Shores has held up well.

“We wanted in some way to help make the transition a little easier in to Ocean Shores and that’s where we came up with the idea of the $20,000 rebate.

“It gives people that little bit more breathing room when it comes to selling their existing home,” says Sandy.

“It means that if they’re

Ocean Shores is located 300m from the beachfront at Mount Maunganui.

wanting to come and live at Ocean Shores, they have another $20,000 to play with – which can either allow them to be more negotiable on their sale price, or simply take the twenty thousand and splash out on an overseas trip once they’ve moved and settled in.”

Anyone who is interested in the $20,000 rebate will have to be quick though as it finishes at the end of June.

“Purchasers are only eligible for the rebate if they settle on a villa or apartment at Ocean Shores on or before June 30, 2011.”

Phone Sandy 07 547 4240. Alternatively, anyone interested in Ocean Shores should simply drop by the village at 80 Maranui Street, Mt Maunganui – any day of the week between 10am and 3pm.

Page 45

Page 46

COAST & COUNTRY

Coast & Country

Orchard tractOrs

Civil Defence regional preparation We all vaguely know an organisational body called Civil Defence leaps into action when there is a disaster.

aG tractOrs

But how does it actually work in each region? There are signs outside some schools saying ‘Warden Post’, but who is the warden and what do they do? What is a regional emergency and what is the difference from a national emergency?

Controller number one

Grass carE

Firstly, when an emergency is declared, the relevant Civil Defence controller becomes the one in charge, at local, regional or national level. At national level even the government has to do what the national controller requires.

These days, the various headquarters have moved a long way from lighting beacons on hilltops. They are fitted with the very latest technology, including satellite sending and receiving capability at the Hamilton headquarters. Around the country there’s a whole raft of trained people, mainly from council staffs, ready to rush in and operate those headquarters 24 hours a day.

In the Waikato, there’s an overarching organisation known as the Waikato Civil Defence Management Group (CDEM), with members from 11 councils, plus Police, Fire Service, District Health Board and St John Ambulance.

Three divisions

This rather vast area, which comprises almost all of the Environment Waikato regional coverage, has been divided into three sub-areas, based largely on the landforms and similarities of likely disasters.

The largest area is Waikato Valley, which includes Hamilton City Council, Waikato, Waipa, Otorohanga and Waitomo District

Councils and is known collectively as the Waikato Valley Emergency Operating Area.

There are 110 trained people drawn from the five councils and a purpose-built building in the Duke Street Depot compound in Hamilton, equipped with a specialised call centre, large kitchen and dining area and a huge room with massive maps for briefings. In quiet times, there’s a staff of three, including the local controller Paul Blewman.

There is also one for Thames Valley, which includes Coromandel and one for Southern.

Each of the three is responsible for its civil defence emergency management responsibilities.

The coordinating base for the region is at Waikato Regional Council’s Grey Street offices. Schools or halls are these days usually pickup points for rescuing people who don’t have their own transport.

In the Bay of Plenty, the organisational basis has been the six district councils, with each one responsible for its own areas. This is at present being accumulated into three areas which will consist of Tauranga City/Western Bay, Rotorua and Whakatane/Opotiki/Kawerau, but is still a work in progress.

Remember, when the second quake hit in Christchurch, there was no warning time and there were possibly plenty of people who still didn’t have plans in place for their families, children, disabled members, pets and neighbours. Given the national emergency status went on for weeks and the people in the eastern suburbs have had to cope without most services ever since, the need for some sort of preparedness by everyone, everywhere, becomes more personal.

For those in the Waikato, pay a visit to www.waikatoregioncdemg.govt.nz and print off the pages detailing how to plan, prepare and act in times of emergency. Every page of the website has a series of quick click advice lists. There are a lot more things to think about than one would imagine. This site also has details on what to do when various types of disasters happen.

For those in the Bay of Plenty, your current relevant website is www.bopcivildefence.govt. nz This has all the relevant information, but requires more navigation in its present form.

If you find it difficult, try the Waikato one.

By Sue Edmonds

Ready to cope with a disaster

Inside the back of every Yellow Pages phone book there is a survival guide for all kinds of emergencies, but how many people have read it and done something? In the Waikato and Bay of Plenty any disaster imaginable could occur.

There is a lot of information on the internet for both Waikato and Bay of Plenty residents.

The Christchurch earthquakes have brought a new reality to what disaster can mean in everyday terms for those affected.

The first one should have been a wakeup call, but probably wasn’t and possibly many families hadn’t prepared their survival kits and family plans before the second one hit.

Paul Blewman, Waikato Valley Controller

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Tuesday 10 May

Central Plateau Biz Grow

At Room 201, N Block, Waiariki Institute of Technology, Mokoia Drive, Rotorua 7-9.30pm.

Closed group focused on up-selling farmers who want to progress further in the dairy industry. Drawing on the experience of established farmers, rural professionals and members of the group. This module focuses on Performance Development. Ph Sharon Morrell 021 225 8345 or email: Sharon.morrell@dairynz.co.nz

Waihi Farm Systems Group

At Gary Mather’s farm, Mathers Road, Waihi SN 75997 11am – 2pm. This group uses the whole farm system concept to identify and discuss opportunities for the host farmer.

Discussion on current issues and upcoming seasonal topics. An open forum that utilizes the experience of all members within the group. Ph Gerry Strange 027 247 8147 or email: wilma. foster@dairynz.co.nz

Wednesday 11 May

Kaharoa/Mamaku Whole Farm Assessment Group

At Aaron Matthew’s farm, 283 Arahiwi Road, Mamaku SN 78516 11am – 1.30pm. The group discusses and investigates the farm system on the host farm. Discussion on current issues and upcoming seasonal topics. An open forum that utilizes the experiences of all members within the group. Lunch supplied by Rabobank. Ph Sharon Morrell 021 225 8345 or email: sharon. morrell@dairynz.co.nz

Wharepapa South Discussion Group

At farm owner Steve Baldwin’s place, 401 Watanui Road, Wharepapa South, SN 74664 11am – 1pm. How has our autumn feed budget worked out according to the plan, will we end up making our dry off targets? What have we learned from this season that will change our seasonal plan for the 2011/2012 season? Ph Sarah Dirks 021 770 859 or email: sarah.dirks@ dairynz.co.nz

Thursday 12 May Field trip to Taupo and surrounds May 12 & 13 11am – 2pm. Closed group focusing on business development and growth. A two day field trip looking at different business opportunities,

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Monday 16 May

Mihi Whole Farm Assessment Group

At Robin Walker’s farm, 1350 Tutukau Road, Reporoa SN 78999 11am – 1.30pm. The group discusses and investigates the farm system on the host farm. Discussion on current issues and upcoming seasonal topics. An open forum that utilizes the experiences of all members within the group. Lunch supplied by Rabobank. Ph Sharon Morrell 021 225 8345 or email: sharon. morrell@dairynz.co.nz

Tuesday 17 May Galatea Monitor Group

Meet at Paul and Joanna McCarthy’s property, Haumea Road, Galatea SN22279 10.30am – 2pm. A monitor group with a financial slant.

Focused on driving profit through monitor costs while maximizing productive potential.

Ph Cameron Bierre 027 288 8238 or email: Cameron.bierre@dairynz.co.nz

PioPio Discussion Group

At Equity Partner Daryl Henwood’s farm, 522 Aria Road, Aria SN74972 11am – 1pm. This is the first season that the farm is fully operational and milking at the targeted stocking rate. Also the first group where we will start using Operating Profit as a benchmark for the PioPio group – don’t worry if you don’t know what Operating Profit is, we’ll cover it off on the day. Ph Sarah Dirks 021 770 859 or email: sarah.dirks@ dairynz.co.nz

Wednesday 18 May Pioneer Training Day

Speakers/Trainers: Dr Mike Hutjens, University Illinois and Dr Bill Mahanna, Pioneer. Cost: $1000 per person + GST. At Claudelands Event Centre, Gate 3, Brooklyn Road, Hamilton.

RSVP: seminarseries@pggwrightson.co.nz

Thursday 19 May

Western BOP Biz Grow

FORD FALCON GLI 1993 EB11, Wof and reg, tow ball. $2500.

021 298 6647 HYUNDAI SONATA reduced price $13990. 2005 silver sedan, 120,000kms, tiptronic, ABS, cruise control, remote locking, serviced regularly. Excellent economy for big car, reliability and comfort.

Ph Daphne 027 552 6283

evaluating them and providing them some feed back. We will look at some large scale 50/50 operations and equity share opportunities. Ph Wilma Foster 021 246 2147 or email: Wilma. foster@dairynz.co.nz

Speakers: What it will take to be globally competitive – Nicola Shadbolt, Massey University.

Why maize has a place in future dairy systems – Dr Bill Mahanna, Pioneer. Choosing the most

for sale

PULLETS Brown Shaver. Point of lay, good layers. Ph 07 824 1762

to let

KATIKATI HOUSE TO RENT modern home, immaculate, 3 bedrooms plus office, heat pump, fully fenced, close to schools, easy-care section, on the market.

to let

References required. $260 per week. Phone Denise 07 549 3760 mobile 027 549 0052

trades & services

profitable hybrid – Barry McCarter, Genetic Technologies Ltd. Reducing the environmental footprint of dairying – Ian Williams, Genetic Technologies Ltd. Producing cost-competitive milk – Dr Mike Hutjens, University of Illinois.

At Claudelands Events Centre, Gate 3, Brooklyn Road, Hamilton 9am – 3.15 pm. Registration: www.pioneer.co.nz or Jill Dawson on 09 307 4164

Monday 23 May NZIPIM Meeting

Topics: Sustainable Agriculture Road Map in the Waikato region and extension activities in Upper Waikato. Regional Policy Statement How does it affect all of us. Taupo Implementation (variation 5) issues what is the progress? Water allocation issues associated with water quantity.

Carbon strategy for the Waikato region what we need to know. Held at Council Chambers at EW 1.30 to 4.30 pm. Contact: Bala Tikkisetty Environment Waikato at bala.tikkisetty@ ew.govt.nz

Wednesday 25 May Tauhei Discussion Group

At Stacey Thomson’s, 33 Raey and Watson Rd, Tahei SN 72551 11am – 1.30pm. This farm system group based in the greater Tauhei area meets 6 weekly and discusses both seasonal issues and ideas for improvement on the host farm. This is the first season for Stacey Lower Order Sharemilking. Covering appropriate seasonal issues. Ph Phil Irvine 027 483 9820 or email: phil.irvine@dairynz.co.nz

Thursday 26 May

DairyNZ Face-to-Face in the Regions

At Mystery Creek Events centre, Hamilton 9.30am – 2pm. This one day event is designed to take some of the regionally-relevant work DairyNZ has underway to farmers and provide an opportunity for face-to-face discussion with a number of key people – all under one roof.

Registration is free to farmers and their staff. Ph Ben Turner 021 222 9028 or email: ben.turner@ dairynz.co.nz

Mark & Measure Strategic Management Seminar

Dairy Road Show 2011 – Pioneer

At Bayview Wairakei Resort, SH1, Taupo May 26 9.30am – 5pm. May 27 8.30am – 4pm.

A chance to get off the farm and gain a clear perspective of the future of your farm business.

trades & services

GORSE SPRAYING do you have

a gorse problem? Ph today for a FREE quote for all gorse control.

Scott 0274 624 769

FAMILY PORTRAITS studio or on-location. $200. Vouchers available. Check out my www.casandrajane.co.nz

Stumps � Rocks • Drains • Trees

www.gorringebros.co.nz

TRANSPORTABLE

KITSET

FULL CONTRACT

Keep your cows in milk over summer Plan your summer crops now • Pasture Sprayout

• •

Develop skills to capitalize on your business and grow equity beyond the farm gate. Plan to deliver outcomes that fulfill your personal, business and financial goals.

Ph Michelle Greaves 021 280 8405 or email: michelle. greaves@dairynz.co.nz

Tuesday 7 June

Pasture Plus – Katikati/Waihi

At Warren Campbell’s property, Old Tauranga Road SN 75928 11am – 1.30pm. This is a winter management meeting. Bring your budgeting information, and we’ll review what’s happening cover information for Spring. Bring your farm budget and your lunch. Ph Wilma Foster 021 246 2147 or email: Wilma.foster@dairynz.co.nz

Wednesday 8 June

Kaharoa/Mamaku Whole Farm Assessment Group

At John Butterworth’s farm, R/10 Mamaku St, Mamaku SN OCC 324 11am – 1.30pm. The Kaharoa/Mamaku Whole Farm Assessment group discusses and investigates the farm system on the host farm. Discussion on current issues and upcoming seasonal topics. An open forum that utilizes the experiences of all members within the group.

Lunch supplied by Rabobank. Ph Sharon Morrell 021 225 8345 or email: Sharon.morrell@dairynz.co.nz

Thursday 9 June Pasture Plus – Te Puke

At Micah Savill’s farm, 752 Taumata Road, Pyes Pa SN 21280 11am – 1.30pm. This group focuses on feed management and feeding strategies. At this session we will be reviewing and monitoring our feed budgeting for autumn/winter, and discussing variations to budget and our response to them. We will also be covering spring set up for a successful season. Ph Wilma Foster 021 246 2147 or email: Wilma.foster@dairynz.co.nz To list your rural event please email: julie@thesun.co.nz with Rural Event in the subject heading.

wanted

NISSAN LD28 WANTED Out of early 80’s Nissans call/txt 021 230 6353 or xxanders@gmail.com

house for sale

LIFESTYLE BLOCK for sale at Pikowai within easy commuting to Tauranga, Te Puke & Whakatane. This four bdrm brick home is in paradise. Beautiful sea and rural views. Six acres grazing land, horse pens, heaps of shedding, butchery and chiller for own use. Single garage with sleepout/office. Big games room or can be converted to extra double garage, chook house, drenching race for the cattle. 11.5x4.5 metre in ground swimming pool which is fully decked and fenced. This is a beautiful home and comes with a share in the community woolshed, tennis courts and cattle yards. Own water scheme.

Fantastic community to belong to.

Only $600,000. URGENT SALE. Ph 027 281 74279

Page 47

Cultivation & Seeding Direct Drilling

We do the complete job.

Book early—Call us on 07 549 1075

0800 382 828

Page 48

COAST & COUNTRY

''Best Friends'' Lilasara Meffan, Katikati.

Olivia Rumbal, three and a half, and her brother Jackson Rumbal on their motor bike with the wild pig they caught.

Photo taken in Taumarunui.

Coast & Country

Byron (6), Zara (4) and Thomas (6) enj oy the slide on a sunny da y. Paula Holdem, Tok water oroa.

Newest member of the herd.

Tania Edmeades, Tirau.

Prize Pack up for Grabs!

One-year-old Mathew talking to the chickens.

Rachel Stairmand, Mangakino.

Pictures & details can be emailed (high resolution .jpgs) to contest@thesun.co.nz “Country Camera� or posted to Coast & Country, PO Box 240, Tauranga.

Please include a name, address and phone number with every entry.

ee, from Jack Hudson, thr ining tra Matamata leads lovely calf Harriet on a sunny day.

This is my grandau ghter from Rangiora, No Canterbury, readin rth g a sto to her pet lambs. Na ry na Lynn of Te Puke.

Yeti my Goat, who is kindly sharing his house with chickens in the rain. From Marcie W of Morrinsville.

Brianna Crocker, six, with her favourite puppy out of the litter.