Drivers licence harder than pilots licence - Read more »

Raise driving standards and not the age - Read more »

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New transmission lines - Transpower has just released their preferred route for the Wairakei-Whakamaru Transmission Line Project near Taupo. Federated Farmers has been receiving calls from affected landowners wanting to know about their rights and Transpower's obligations, so a reminder to all members that there is a fact sheet available on the construction of new transmission lines on private land. This fact sheet can be downloaded by clicking here and logging on as a member. For more information, you can also call policy advisor Nigel Billings on 0800 327 646.

‘Trying' to buy a farm?  TVNZ is keen to talk - TVNZ is keen to talk to younger farmers trying to raise finance to purchase their first farm in any sector. The story will focus on examining why farm sales are currently slow. If you wish to find out more please contact general manager of strategic communications, David Broome, by clicking here or by calling 0800 327 646.

You're all invited - Invites have gone out across the country encouraging you all to dust off your gumboots and come along to Federated Farmers Farm Day on Sunday, 28 March. So, invite a friend, hang a poster at the local shops or pop an invite in a neighbour's letter box. Check out www.farmday.org.nz for local details, it's going to be a fantastic day out and we look forward to seeing you there!

Early bird's - The Federation would like to congratulate all those who completed the ‘Getting Your Feet Wet' leadership course last week. These courses are fun, challenging and really test your spontaneity. All members are welcome and thanks to sponsorship from Meat and Wool New Zealand all flight costs are covered. Places fill fast, so to find out more about the other courses available this year, please contact Lauren Mann by clicking here or calling 0800 327 646.

Hauraki district Significant Natural Areas - Federated Farmers reminds members in the Hauraki region to check if they have a Significant Natural Area (SNA) mapped on their property by the district plan. If a site has been incorrectly identified as an SNA, when in fact it is pine forest or gorse, members need to raise the issue with Hauraki District Council. Council has advised that they won't be visiting any more properties to check SNA until the formal submission process kicks off, but Federated Farmers feels it's important that council at least know about your problem. If you have an incorrect SNA mapped on your property, we do urge you to write a formal submission when the plan is notified in April. For more information, please contact Rhea Dasent by clicking here.

Indigenous biodiversity in Whakatane - Whakatane District Council is too looking at how they protect Significant Natural Areas (SNA) and maintain indigenous biodiversity as part of their plan review process. Letters have recently been sent to landowners in the region with sites that may contain SNA, explaining the project and seeking feedback. Council is currently working with a database which they acknowledge as not being as robust as they would like it to be, so the point of this current exercise to update and/or change information. Assurances have been given to Federated Farmers that this may mean removing areas from the database altogether, so for this reason we urge affected landowners to use this opportunity and engage proactively with council. Regional policy advisor, Hilary Walker, is more than happy to offer advice and support to any one who has been contacted by council and more information will be circulated as the project moves forward. Hilary can be contacted by clicking here or calling 0800 327 646.

Vice-president appointed - Federated Farmers Waikato has appointed provincial Dairy chairperson, James Houghton, to the position of junior vice-chairperson, in accordance with their unwritten succession plan. We congratulate James and will be watching closely for future achievements.

1080 public awareness meeting - Ruapehu District Council is holding a public awareness meeting on 1080 from 4.30pm Sunday, 4 April at the council buildings, 59 - 63 Huia Street, Taumarunui. For more information and to RSVP, please contact Jim Nicklin by clicking here.

Meat and Wool New Zealand director elections - Don't forget voting for the Meat & Wool New Zealand director elections closes this Wednesday, 10 March. All registered voters are urged to take part and voting can be completed by returning your papers by post or the internet.

Federated Farmers feed list - The Federated Farmers feed lists, which include both feed wanted and feed available, can be accessed via the 0800 DROUGHT line (0800 376 844) or by clicking here. The drought line and feed lists are available to both members and non-members of Federated Farmers.

Northland NZDIA dinner - The NZDIA dinner for the Northland region will be held from 6.30pm Tuesday, 9 March at the Copthorne Hotel & Resort Bay of Islands, Tau Henare Drive, Waitangi. Tickets are $65 and are available from selected RD1 stores and from Dean and Tania Mischeski by calling 09 431 6996.

Auckland/Hauraki NZDIA dinner - The NZDIA dinner for the Auckland/Hauraki region will be held from 6.30pm Thursday, 11 March at the Alexandra Park Raceway, Greenlane Road West, Epsom, Auckland. Tickets are $70 and are available from Gavin and Sally Roden by calling 09 235 7012.

Waikato NZDIA dinner - The NZDIA dinner for the Waikato region will be held from 6.00pm Friday, 12 March at The Bledisloe, Mystery Creek Events Centre, Gate 2, 125 Mystery Creek Rd, Hamilton. Tickets are $80 and are available from Brock and Janine Fiske by calling 07 872 1928 or Craig and Brooke Littin by calling 07 883 6040.

90 trial period - Employers who employ 19 or fewer employees are able to offer trial periods of up to 90 days to new employees. Any trial period that is agreed to with a new employee must be agreed to in good faith and in writing as part of their employment agreement. The written employment agreement must also be signed by both parties at the beginning of the employment relationship. Remember, it is  a legal requirement to have an employment contract for EVERY employee and Federated Farmers members can purchase these at the special price of $45 (non-member price $150). The Individual Employment Agreement can be purchased by clicking here or by calling 0800 327 646.

Got a great idea? - AGMARDT is now allocating their group grants for agribusiness innovation projects. Funding will be awarded for the development or commercialisation of an idea, or to get a project to a stage where it will attract further funding. Grants in this area can be up to $120,000 and eligible groups include farmers/growers, farm consultants, vets and research or technology providers. Grants up to $20,000 are also available for pre-trial or demonstration purposes. Project inquiries for the next funding round must be submitted by Tuesday, 30 March 2010. For more information, please contact Stephen Macaulay by calling 04 499 6173.

Rural staff management workshops - Employers, now is the time to get control of the policies and systems you need for effective staff management. Learn from others what works and what doesn't and tap into industry best practice and resources through Agriculture ITO's Rural Staff Management workshops. There are four one-day workshops available, and enrolment is $400 for all four or $125 per workshop. Contact your local advisor on 0800 691 111 for more information.

Interested in lifting your production management skills? - Open Polytechnic's National Certificate in Agriculture: Production Management is for people working in agricultural production. 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.

Exclusive chance to buy from St Helena - The St Helena vineyard export 95 percent of their wine, so this week Winesonline brings you a unique opportunity to buy from their range at prices starting from only $7.95. To find out more, visit www.winesonline.co.nz.

Print away - OfficeMax has an amazing deal on the Brother HL2140 laser printer this week. The HL2140 has a 250 sheet paper tray, USB connection and one years manufacturer's warranty, all for the special price of $120.00 excluding GST. To view this and other great OfficeMax promotions click here.

Versatile and Totalspan coupons - Don't forget to use your Versatile and Totalspan coupons from the summer edition of the National Farming Review for great member only building offers. Get $3000 manufacturer's cash back on any Versatile home purchase or $1000 manufacturer's cash back on any Totalspan building purchase over $15,000. Offer available until Wednesday, 31 March. For another copy of the coupon please call 0800 327 646. Terms and conditions apply.

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.

Contracts, agreements and leases - These include land, stock, contractor, sales and purchase, agreement to grow, log books, access pads, Over Dimension Certificates and employment. Remember, it's a legal requirement to have an employment contract for EVERY employee so if you don't have a current employment agreement, then order one now. Contracts, agreements and leases are available in both electronic and hard copy formats for your convenience. To purchase, call 0800 FARMING or click here.

Quote of the week - "Federated Farmers is not impressed with the legal driving age being increased to 16-years-old and Federated Farmers has a fair point." Barry Soper, Newstalk ZB Political Correspondent.