Lake water quality trends upwards (if you study the report) - Read more »

Training and not age key to safer drivers, MP's told - Read more »

‘Get a real job like farming,' Federated Farmers advises protestors - Read more »

Obama's new climate - Read more »

To view the full list of media releases or to view any other publications, click here.

Dairy Industry Restructuring (New Sunset Provisions) Amendment Bill - This week Federated Farmers Dairy submitted its views on the latest bill before the House regarding the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act (DIRA) to the Primary Production Select Committee. This Bill sought to change the market share thresholds that trigger the sunset clauses within the DIRA. The original intent of the DIRA was to allow this competition policy to fall away and let market forces prevail when the sunset clauses were triggered. The Bill further altered the original intent of the DIRA by mandating that another review of competition within the dairy industry be undertaken when the new triggers looked set to trip, as opposed to letting it fall away. Federated Farmers submitted that the DIRA should not be amended piecemeal and urged Government to bring forward the review of the Raw Milk Regulations. To read our submission, please click here and for more information, please contact Dairy Policy Advisor, Ann Thompson, on 0800 327 646.

Farm Day 2011 - Planning is now underway for the 2011 Federated Farmers Farm Day, which will be held on Sunday, 13 March 2011. Across New Zealand our provincial presidents are on the look out for farms close to large urban areas, so if you think your place would be a great location for a Farm Day, we'd love to hear from you. Next year's theme, Out in the paddock, will be used to talk to non-farmers about what happens above, on and under the soil. This theme was inspired by Keith and Kim Riley's Farm Day last year in Tararua where they held a CSI soil investigation. We think the soil focus is a fun way show how farmers care for and manage their land. For more information, please contact Farm Day Project Manager, Ali Undorf-Lay, on 0800 327 646 or at aundorflay@fedfarm.org.nz.

Meeting held with Waikato-Tainui Claims and Environment Unit - Federated Farmers North Island Regional Policy Manager, Dr Paul Le Miere, and Federated Farmers Waikato Provincial President, Stew Wadey, met with Julian Williams and Taipu Paki of the Waikato-Tainui Claims and Environment Unit, on Thursday, 11 November to start the process of good interaction going forward now the Waikato River Settlement is operative. The NIWA Scoping Study will be released for public notice after the Waikato River Authority has its first meeting. The Crown Appointees are Jenni Vernon, Sally Strang, Alan Livingston and Peter Buckley and John Luxton will be a co-chair of the authority that has statutory responsibility in regard to the Vision and Strategy of the Settlement Deed. For more information, please contact Paul on 0800 327 646.

Don't get the lycra out just yet - Matamata Piako District Council (MPDC) has sought community input to help them decide whether to become a partner with Hauraki District Council for a cycleway project. Federated Farmers has opposed a rise in the general rate or using reserves to fund the Te Aroha to Paeroa cycleway because this would mean that farmers with high value properties will be contributing more than other ratepayers. Federated Farmers also urged MPDC to consult directly with the farmers who live alongside the disused railway that will be used for the cycleway before they commit to the project. For more information, please contact Regional Policy Advisor, Rhea Dasent, on 0800 327 646.

Another Boring Farming Do - Yeah Right! - Tararua locals were fortunate enough to have two very busy Federated Farmers representatives bless them with their presence for an entire evening and day this week. Don Nicolson, National President, and Conor English, Chief Executive, attended the well received and fun evening, Another Boring Farming Do - Yeah Right!, at Tui HQ in Mangatainoka on Wednesday night. The Flagon Room was at maximum capacity with 180 Tararua farmers enjoying the night, put on by Federated Farmers Tararua, with much appreciated sponsorship from Naylor Lawrence and Associates, Property Brokers, Dannevirke Dairy Supplies, Vet Centre Dannevirke, ASB Bank and Farmlands. There was no rest for the boys on Thursday either, as Don and Conor where up bright and early to attend the Bush Agriculture Day held in Pahiatua, where the local primary school children competed with their loved lambs and calves. Don was one of the three lamb judges, while Conor mingled with local farmers.

Review of the Canterbury Regional Policy Statement - Environment Canterbury has released a draft of its reviewed Regional Policy Statement (RPS), which will set the tone for resource management in Canterbury for the next 10 years. Regional Policy Statements now have increased importance because regional councils and territorial authorities must give effect to them through their regional and district plans. The RPS covers all aspects of resource management and can be viewed by clicking here. Feedback is invited by 3 December 2010 and Federated Farmers has made substantial input during the RPS review process to date and it is vital that this continues. Federated Farmers staff are currently preparing feedback on the draft RPS, focusing on the chapters that have greatest relevance for farmers. If you require further information, or have any thoughts, concerns or comments about the draft RPS, please contact Lionel Hume or Anna Mackenzie on 0800 327 646.

Community Irrigation Fund - The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's Community Irrigation Fund (CIF) is now open for applications for the 2011/12 funding round and applications close on Friday, 18 February 2011. The fund provides grants to assist promoters of community water storage and/or irrigation schemes for generating investor and community support. As well as for detailed engineering design and local government-led water strategies that consider the potential for rural irrigation related-infrastructure. More information and application forms can be found on the MAF website by clicking here or by contacting Loretta Dobbs, CIF Project Adviser, on 04 894 0632 or at CIFund@maf.govt.nz.

Tales from the Back Country, charity fundraising event - Tales from the Back Country is a 64 page coffee table book filled with photos of iconic New Zealand back country scenery. The scenery is interspersed with true stories of farm dogs and life in the back country, as told by high country shepherds, musterers, drovers and farmers from around New Zealand. Charities and community groups in both the North and South Islands are using the book for fundraising and keep 100 percent of profits. To purchase a copy of the book and support the Waikato Hospice, please call 0800 hospice (467 7423).

Free ten pin bowling for Southland farmers - Superbowl Ten Pin Bowling Centre in Invercargill would like to invite the farmers and families who where hit badly by the storms to a free day of bowling on Sunday, 14 November between 10am - 4pm. To come along you must book with Superbowl so it can organise time schedules to fit in as many people in as possible, so unfortunately no booking, no game. To book your place call Superbowl Ten Pin Bowling on 03 214 4944.

Ballance Environment Awards Southland - After the recent storms, Southland farmers have their noses to the grindstone. One effect of this has been the applications for Southland's Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA) have been few to non-existent. While it does require some time commitment from farmers, the BFEA are an important opportunity to highlight the positive efforts of Southland farmers. If you think you can spare the time to enter, please contact Annabel Radford, Southland Regional Coordinator on 03 248 7246 or 021 762 648. Entries close 17 December.

Wool Partners Cooperative grower roadshows - A series of meetings for wool growers are being held around the country between 26 October and 19 November. The schedule of meetings can be found by clicking here and a reminder that applications for shares must be received by 30 November 2010.

WPI prospectus meeting - Federated Farmers Southland has organised a meeting with Jeff Grant, Chairman of Wool Partners International, to discuss the WPI prospectus at 4pm, Monday 15 November at the Croydon Lodge, Gore. This is an opportunity for you to ask the hard questions that have not been covered in the official documentation, to get your head around whether this really offers value and to get to grips with the strategic detail. It's important for you to read the WPI prospectus prior to the meeting, which can be downloaded clicking here, and come along with your own questions. There will be dinner afterwards, at your own cost.

Federated Farmers National Council meeting 2010 - The 2010 Federated Farmers National Council meeting will be held in Wellington on Wednesday, 17 and Thursday, 18 November at Westpac Stadium, Waterloo Quay, Wellington. The National Council meeting will encompass a vast range of guest speakers including the Hon Dr Nick Smith, Mick Keogh, Executive Director of the Australian Farm Institute, the Hon Damien O'Connor, Zuza Scherer, Generation Y expert, Richard Fowler, President of New Zealand Young Farmers, the Hon David Carter, Prof. Natalie Jackson, Demography and Population Studies at Waikato University, the Hon Rodney Hide and Sandy Maier, Chief Executive of South Canterbury Finance. The Federated Farmers cocktail function, proudly sponsored by New Zealand Post Group, will be held on the evening of 17 November 2010. For more information, you can contact Kimberley Wadsworth, Events and Leadership Manager, on 0800 327 646 or at events@fedfarm.org.nz.

Meeting for farm owners in the Otorohanga District Council area - Federated Farmers Waikato invites you to a meeting for all farmers and landowners affected by the proposed landscape policy areas and indigenous vegetation clearance rules. Federated Farmers Regional Policy Advisor, Rhea Dasent, will be presenting on how the proposed rules could impact on farming and on Federated Farmers submission to the proposed Plan. The meeting will be held Friday, 19 November 2010 at 7pm at the Otorohanga Workingmen's Club, 107 Maniapoto Street, Otorohanga. Please RSVP to Gaylene Bamford on 07 858 0820 or at gbamford@fedfarm.org.nz.

Otautau You N Lamb Festival - The Southern sheep industry will be celebrated at the Otautau You N Lamb Festival on November 19 and 20. Friday, 19 November's events include the Meat the Future Monitor Farm Field Day at 12.30, a lamb boning presentation by Graham Hawkes at 5pm and a presentation by fashion consultant, Jackie O'Fee, at 7.30pm. On Saturday, 20 November there will be a market at 10am and the CRT Kids Agrisports at 10.30am, a heritage garden and kitchen tour at noon. There will also be a shearing display at 12.15pm, a dog barking competition and working dog demo at 1.15pm, then the CRT Agrisports/Top Team competition at 2pm and the Alliance Group dinner will be held at 6pm. For further details please contact Ken Taylor, on 03 225 8103 or at k.d.taylor@xtra.co.nz.

Hill country field day - AgResearch is holding a field day for hill country farmers from 10am - 2pm Wednesday, 24 November at Hope Road, Woodville. The field day will recap key research messages, discuss your questions and hear your needs. There will also be presentations on soil fertility and fertilisers by Alec Mackay, feeding animals and finishing strategies by Tom Fraser, pasture species and browse forage by Syd Easton and Grant Douglas, land evaluation and business planning by Lachie Grant (Land Vision) and Greg Sheppard (Sheppard Agriculture) as well as on parasite management by Dave Leathwick. These presentations will be given at five stops around the Ballantrae. You can arrive any time between 10am and noon and remember to bring your lunch (tea and coffee provided) and a 4WD road vehicle if you can, but no quad bikes please. For further information, please contact Isabelle Vanderkolk on 06 351 8246.

Interested in food? - Open Polytechnic has two food courses - a nutrition course, which covers healthy food choices and how the body uses food and a food safety course which teaches safe ways to prepare, handle and store food. For more information, click here or call 0508 650 200. Remember, Federated Farmers members get a 20 percent discount. Click here to download an enrolment form.

Have you got keen young people working on your farm? - Help them get ahead by talking to Agriculture ITO today about Modern Apprenticeships. Modern apprenticeships are a work based education initiative, sponsored by the New Zealand Government, for 16-21 year olds in industry employment. The initiative allows trainees to learn while they earn and gain nationally recognised NZQA qualifications. The extra mentoring given to Modern Apprentices gives the scheme a significant advantage over other training options. Your modern apprenticeship coordinator will sit down with you and your trainee to create training plans, set goals and review progress every three months. To find out more, contact your local Agriculture ITO training advisor on 0800 691 111 or visit www.agricultureito.ac.nz.

Great medical insurance offer for members - There is just 12 working days left until the introductory offer ends with Accuro Medical Insurance. Accuro has great member discounts and the option of transferring existing accepted conditions if you apply on or before 30 November. To find out more and for a quote call Accuro on 0800 ACCURO (222 876).

More member benefits and offers - To view special discounts exclusive to Federated Farmers members, please call 0800 327 646 or click here to log onto our members only area.

Quote of the week - "We want it to go to the greatest number of rural people as quickly as possible, as efficiently as possible and as cheap as possible". Telecommunications spokesperson, Donald Aubrey, makes his thoughts on rural broadband clear.