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
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Listen: Today's panel - is there really an urban/ rural divide?

The Country
11 Sep, 2017 02:09 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Farmers Steve Wyn-Harris and Grant McCallum have different opinions when it comes to the size of the urban/rural divide. Photo / Chris Skelton

Farmers Steve Wyn-Harris and Grant McCallum have different opinions when it comes to the size of the urban/rural divide. Photo / Chris Skelton

Steve Wyn-Harris and Grant McCallum debated whether it really is a case of "us and them" when it comes to the perceived urban/rural divide on The Country.

Central Hawkes Bay sheep farmer Steve Wyn-Harris reckons the majority of urban people believe farmers are trying to make the environment a better place. He also says television shows such as Country Calendar go a long way to bridging the urban/rural divide.

Obviously waterways are a major issue in the election campaign and Wyn-Harris concedes that he's not surprised that urban folk agree with a water tax if they're not going to be paying it.

Northland cow cocky Grant McCallum says the water quality debate is not a simplistic issue. He disagrees with Wyn-Harris about urban people thinking farmers are environmentally friendly.

McCallum believes campaigns by Greenpeace and the Green Party have started to resonate with urban voters and he has noticed that his Auckland friends are now asking him when he's going to "clean up the waterways."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Also in this interview: the panel talk about why they think a water tax won't work, discuss whether New Zealand is at peak cow numbers and share their memories of 9/11

Finally Wyn-Harris and McCallum round off the interview by taking a swipe at Farmer J - Jeremy Rookes!

Listen to the full interview in the Soundcloud embed below:

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Discover more

Opinion: Dairy could be hit with trifecta of taxes

13 Sep 01:30 AM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

The Country: Todd McClay on carbon farming

26 Jun 01:51 AM
Opinion

Opinion: Are rising butter prices bad news?

25 Jun 11:18 PM
The Country

NZ shearers prepare for Scotland's toughest sheep

25 Jun 10:36 PM

Kaibosh gets a clean-energy boost in the fight against food waste

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

The Country: Todd McClay on carbon farming

The Country: Todd McClay on carbon farming

26 Jun 01:51 AM

Todd McClay, Wayne Langford, Hamish Marr, Dr Jacqueline Rowarth, and Chris Russell.

Opinion: Are rising butter prices bad news?

Opinion: Are rising butter prices bad news?

25 Jun 11:18 PM
NZ shearers prepare for Scotland's toughest sheep

NZ shearers prepare for Scotland's toughest sheep

25 Jun 10:36 PM
Strengthening the Eastern Bay farming community

Strengthening the Eastern Bay farming community

25 Jun 10:04 PM
Engage and explore one of the most remote places on Earth in comfort and style
sponsored

Engage and explore one of the most remote places on Earth in comfort and style

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