RHAANZ conference "Keeping our rural communities well"
Just four days remain to register for the annual RHAANZ conference in Wellington on Wednesday,
March 12. We have a great line up of thought provoking speakers from a range of backgrounds:
health providers, local government, industry groups and community groups, plus there will be plenty
of opportunity for audience participation and problem solving. The last session of the day will look at
a rural health strategy for NZ and explore options for running an international rural health
conference in 2015. Following a brief AGM we can continue the networking over informal drinks and
dinner.
Our ultimate goal from this year's conference is to have a list of rural health priorities to take to
Government by the end of March. Come and be part of these important discussions.
To view the the full RHAANZ programme please click here.
To register for the RHAANZ day, please click here.
Registrations are going well, although we could with a few more to fully cover costs. Please continue
to promote our conference within your networks and we look forward to seeing you on March 12.
Thank you.
Best regards
Michelle Thompson
Interim CE (ce@rhaanz.org.nz, 021 234 7413).
The RHAANZ conference day is part of the four-day NZRGPN conference which carries the theme
“Rural communities – the backbone of New Zealand”. This showcase rural health event is on at the
TSB Arena/Shed 6 on Wellington's waterfront from Thursday, March 13 to Sunday, March 16,
2014. The conference will again be run in association with the New Zealand Rural Hospital Network
(NZRHN). Read more.
Or to view the programme click HERE.
Changes at the top for Fed Farmers
Federated Farmers chief executive Conor English has announced he will be stepping down in July,
after six years in the role. (RNZ)
Mr English had previously worked for the federation as a policy advisor for the grains and seeds
section.
He said after almost 10 years in total with the federation it was time to move on, though he has
nothing specific lined up at this stage.
Mr English said he has given early notice of his decision to resign to give Federated Farmers plenty of
time to plan for that and other changes at the start of the year.
As well as a new chief executive, the organisation will be looking for a new president. Bruce Wills, is
due to step down at the end of his three year term, also in July, along with several national board
members.
Farmers suspicious of Synlait farms takeover
Federated Farmers in South Canterbury is suspicious of a takeover of southern Synlait farms by the
Chinese company, Shanghai Pengxin. (RNZ)
The takeover has been approved by the Overseas Investment Office, and the company will now have
a 74 percent stake in 13 properties southwest of Christchurch.
South Canterbury Federated Farmers president Ivan Hurst says there are always questions when
foreign companies capture businesses that include raw materials right through to the final product.
He says he cannot understand why the takeover was approved, and suspects some information used
to justify the decision has been kept from the public.
Rural broadband 'only entry level'
The Telecommunications Users Association (TUANZ) says the way ultra-fast broadband is being built
in urban and rural areas runs the risk of building a two-tier internet economy. (RNZ)
The Government is spending $1.35 billion on ultra-fast broadband to urban areas and $300 million
on rolling it out to rural areas.
Read more.
Suicide prevention strategy launched
The Government has launched a programme to prevent suicide among Maori and Pacific people.
(RNZ)
About 500 people in New Zealand take their own lives each year. In 2011, the Maori suicide rate was
1.8 times that of Pakeha and the rate among young Maori was 2.4 times that of their Pakeha peers.
In front of a packed Wellington conference on preventing suicide among Maori and Pacific people,
Whanau Ora Minister Tariana Turia announced the new strategy Waka Hourua.
Read more.
Farmers 'more willing' to take a break
Federated Farmers says a decline in farm fatalities marks a cultural shift taking place on the farm.The
lower death rate shows up in two sets of statistics. (RNZ)
Worksafe New Zealand figures show on-farm fatalities for the Christmas New Year period have fallen
from four in 2010 to just one this year.
ACC statistics reveal a 17.5 percent decline in annual farm deaths since 2008.
Federated Farmers says a decline shows stressed-out farmers are getting the message to take a
break.
Read more.
Farm sales have continued their surge into the new year.
The latest figures from the Real Estate Institute show 165 more farms were sold in the three months
to the end of January, compared with the same period a year ago. (RNZ)
That's an increase of more than 40 percent.
For the year to the end of January, 1794 farms changed hands, an increase of more than 23 percent
on the previous year and the highest number of sales in five years.
The price index covering all farm types also rose, by almost 9.6 percent on a year ago.
The institute's rural spokesman Brian Peacock says most regions are seeing solid demand for dairy,
dairy support and sheep and beef farms.
Demand for lifestyle blocks also remains strong, with the median price reaching a new high of
$535,000.
Vets Association pushes rural bonding scheme
The Veterinary Association is sending a message to political parties this election year as it looks to
continue the rural bonding scheme for graduate vets. (RNZ)
The scheme was introduced to encourage young vets to work in rural practices, to overcome a
serious staffing shortage in some country areas.
The Veterinary Association chief executive Julie Hood says more than 100 graduates are now part of
the scheme and there's been a very high retention rate.
Read more.
Farm properties keenly sought
High milk prices and improved red meat returns are helping to drive the strong demand for farms.
(RNZ)
The latest figures from the Real Estate Institute show farm sales are continuing to rise.
The number of properties that changed hands in the three months to the end of January is more
than 40 percent up on the same period a year ago.
Read more.
Parasite hits 473 North Island farms
A parasite that can be lethal to cattle has now spread to 473 North Island farms. (RNZ)
Eleven new herds a week are being infected with the parasite, theileria ikeda, which makes cattle
anaemic and in severe cases is killing livestock.
Dairy NZ team leader of animal husbandry and welfare Nita Harding says while most infected herds
have only one or two sick animals, there's anecdotal evidence some cattle are dying.
Read more.
SEE also Cattle on drilling waste worry Greens.
Rural roads get cash injection
Rural roads are getting a cash injection to extend sealed sections. (Auckland Now)
But the money, 1 per cent of Auckland Transport's budget, is not nearly enough, the Rodney Local
Board says.
Auckland Transport has allocated $14 million to extend seal on several roads in Auckland, the
majority to be spent in Rodney over the next 10 years.
Read more.
Cap on dentistry students lifted
The Government has agreed to increase the number of undergraduate domestic dentistry students
at University of Otago for the first time since 1961. (ODT)
The increase from 54 funded places for domestic students to 60 places a year came into effect this
year, vice-chancellor Prof Harlene Hayne announced in university council papers released this week.
The additional students were tagged for ''rural origin students'', mirroring a similar provision in the
university's medical admissions to address health shortages.
Read more.
Why did 500 sheep smother to death?
A sheep smothering incident on a Southland farm has brought a plea for people not to go onto farms
uninvited. (RNZ)
Gore police are investigating whether poachers or other intruders caused the smothering of 500
sheep, found dead in a narrow gully on a farm at Mt Wendon, near Riversdale, about a week ago.
Read more.
Health provider quits single body provider
An iwi group has pulled out of plans for Maori health provision at the top of the South Island, saying
its service would be dumbed down and put at risk. (RNZ)
A single Maori health body is being created in Te Tau Ihu by six organisations but Te Hauora O Ngati
Rarua isn't joining them.
Read more.
Otago-Southland region's Young Farmer announced
Mr Rabbidge puts his win down to performing consistently across the technical, practical and agrisports events - before finishing strongly in the speech and quiz events. (RNZ)
He says he'll be trawling through media reports before the national final so he's up to speed with
current affairs - when he gets a break from the farm, that is.
Read more.
Further reduction in NAIT levy
Cattle farmers will pay a lower levy for the cost of running the national animal identification and
traceability (NAIT) programme. (RNZ)
Farmers are required to pay an ear tag as well as a slaughter levy, with the latter halved to 50 cents a
carcass.
NAIT programme design and farm operations head Stu Hutchings said it was the second levy
reduction in a year, following cuts in both the slaughter and NAIT levy in March last year.
Read more.
Farmers struggle on parched land
Dry weather and a lack of grass has hit dairy farmers on Northland's west coast for a second straight
season. (RNZ)
Some farmers say they're much worse off this year than during the official drought in 2013 and the
only thing keeping them going is the record milk payout.
Read more.