The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Lucy Bennett
Political Reporter
Wellington

Lucy Bennett is a political reporter for the New Zealand Herald

We are your advocate, Aotearoa. Uncovering stories that matter, asking hard-hitting questions of those in power, live-blogging sport events, monitoring the highs and lows of the NZX and providing Premium expert opinion and analysis. Bringing you distinctive, quality journalism and breaking news from across New Zealand and around the world. With specialists working together to create indepth reads, engaging video, and unmissable podcasts.

Check out Lucy’s latest content
Ardern to gun owners: Surrender your weapons now, before law changes
The Country

Ardern to gun owners: Surrender your weapons now, before law changes

18 Mar 04:00 PM
Animal evacuation charity says funding threatened
The Country

Animal evacuation charity says funding threatened

06 Mar 01:03 AM

Minister says conversation was misconstrued

Watch: Protester removed from Waitangi welcome after shouting at MPs
The Country

Watch: Protester removed from Waitangi welcome after shouting at MPs

04 Feb 09:49 PM

PM tells crowd 'there is still more to do' with helping Māori but work has started.

$100m for regional employment scheme
The Country

$100m for regional employment scheme

03 Feb 08:00 PM

Another day, another large Provincial Growth Fund announcement

Mystery over abusive note on anti-1080 letter to DoC
The Country

Mystery over abusive note on anti-1080 letter to DoC

11 Jan 03:33 AM

Tensions between DoC and those opposed to the use of 1080 were high at the time.

Medicinal cannabis bill passes third reading
The Country

Medicinal cannabis bill passes third reading

11 Dec 04:35 AM

National calls bill decriminalisation by stealth but it passes third reading.

Poll reveals support for wider use of medicinal cannabis
The Country

Poll reveals support for wider use of medicinal cannabis

09 Dec 04:51 AM

Medicinal cannabis bill set to pass on Tuesday.

Controversial Waimea dam to go ahead
The Country

Controversial Waimea dam to go ahead

30 Nov 03:05 AM

Construction to begin early next year after back and forth for most of this year

Saving bacon - food labelling bill passes
The Country

Saving bacon - food labelling bill passes

28 Nov 07:24 PM

Bacon and pork products included at the 11th hour to food labelling bill.

Country of origin food labelling getting closer
The Country

Country of origin food labelling getting closer

28 Nov 07:29 AM

Eleventh-hour inclusion for bacon and other smallgoods.

Regions spared from 'big city' union practices: NZ First
The Country

Regions spared from 'big city' union practices: NZ First

27 Nov 05:24 AM

Changes make bill more palatable to business but still areas of concern.

Pike River Mine re-entry approved: 'We are returning'
The Country

Pike River Mine re-entry approved: 'We are returning'

13 Nov 06:05 PM

The families of the 29 men find out whether recovery operation will go ahead.

Faster M. bovis recovery for farmers
The Country

Faster M. bovis recovery for farmers

08 Oct 09:30 PM

Government says its eradication attempt is progressing well.

Rotorua to lose local-based rescue chopper
The Country

Rotorua to lose local-based rescue chopper

05 Oct 12:30 AM

Clark says Rotorua will be well-service by rescue choppers based elsewhere.

$152m funding for Gisborne region
The Country

$152m funding for Gisborne region

07 Sep 12:00 AM

Gisborne region benefits from biggest PGF funding announcement yet

One billion trees achievable but challenging, says forestry industry
The Country

One billion trees achievable but challenging, says forestry industry

13 Aug 07:20 PM

A billion trees in the ground is achievable but good quality projects are required.

Watch live: $240m more for Govt's One Billion Trees programme
The Country

Watch live: $240m more for Govt's One Billion Trees programme

13 Aug 04:00 AM

Government announces two new initiatives aimed at getting more trees in the ground.

Council seeks taxpayer funding for controversial dam
The Country

Council seeks taxpayer funding for controversial dam

02 Aug 11:28 PM

Council says the dam must go ahead if the region is to continue to be successful.

Police Minister: Yes, I 'probably' would want cannabis decriminalised
The Country

Police Minister: Yes, I 'probably' would want cannabis decriminalised

24 Jul 09:29 PM

Methamphetamine, not cannabis, is the problem Police Minister says

Finger-pointing over Lauer land access
The Country

Finger-pointing over Lauer land access

24 Jul 02:38 AM

Previous government blamed for access stoush over Lauer's sheep station.

'Fake meat burgers could be good for industry'
The Country

'Fake meat burgers could be good for industry'

04 Jul 02:47 AM

Air New Zealand's decisions 'not always smart', says agriculture minister.

Jones: Fonterra chair should 'catch next cab out of town'
The Country

Jones: Fonterra chair should 'catch next cab out of town'

13 Jun 04:38 AM

Minister says company should stop being political and focus on its business.

Mycoplasma bovis eradication plan unveiled
The Country

Mycoplasma bovis eradication plan unveiled

28 May 05:00 PM

About 150,000 cows will be culled from Kiwi farms.

Government to try eradicating cow disease
The Country

Government to try eradicating cow disease

28 May 04:00 AM

150,000 + cattle will be culled in a world-first bid to eradicate Mycloplasma bovis.

M. Bovis will not stop Gypsy Day cattle movements
The Country

M. Bovis will not stop Gypsy Day cattle movements

23 May 04:10 AM

M. Bovis will not stop the annual movement of farmers and their cattle

M. bovis decision on Monday
The Country

M. bovis decision on Monday

22 May 02:47 AM

Cabinet will make a "hard" decision next week over next action on cow disease.

DHBs turn over medicines budgets to Pharmac
The Country

DHBs turn over medicines budgets to Pharmac

17 May 07:43 AM

Pharmac takes over DHB medicines budgets to increase buying power for drugs.

Labour accused of breaking promise to Māori
The Country

Labour accused of breaking promise to Māori

17 May 06:54 AM

The Labour Party has been called out over a broken funding promise on Whānau Ora.

Big cash injection for 'starved' health system
The Country

Big cash injection for 'starved' health system

17 May 02:00 AM

Cash-strapped DHBs will get a massive boost for building repairs and deficits

Blessed are the cheesemakers
The Country

Blessed are the cheesemakers

13 May 10:00 PM

New compliance process eases red tape for small cheese makers

OIO rule changes affecting foreign farm sales
The Country

OIO rule changes affecting foreign farm sales

10 Apr 05:59 AM

Jericho farm sale to a Kiwi is the result of OIO rule changes, says Minister

Kiwi Jericho Station winner 'chuffed' but not anti foreign investment
The Country

Kiwi Jericho Station winner 'chuffed' but not anti foreign investment

10 Apr 02:27 AM

Farmer Ed Pinckney is the unconditional contract-holder.

Fonterra recalls cream
Dairy

Fonterra recalls cream

13 Jan 08:35 AM

Fonterra is caught up in another contamination scare, and is recalling fresh cream because of fears it could contain the E.coli bacterium.

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP