Halo brings tui to Hamilton
Tui now appear to be permanent "residents" in Hamilton, thanks to a pest-control programme which may become a model for other areas.
Waikato Regional Council is looking at whether lessons learned during the successful Hamilton Halo project to protect tui can be applied to other parts of the region.
Halo - which involves rat and possum control at tui nesting sites around Hamilton to help increase the number of the birds visiting the city - started five years ago. Seeing a tui in Hamilton back then was a rare event.
However, since Halo pest control began, sightings and actual nesting attempts reported by the community have increased significantly.
The project has its own Facebook page and a range of Halo-related events and competitions have been held.
There are signs of birds moving away from being transient visitors to becoming Hamilton "residents", and now council staff are also looking at how Halo's lessons could be applied to other areas outside the city.
Ballance scholarship for six
Six scholarships have been awarded by Ballance Agri-Nutrients to students studying towards a degree in New Zealand's primary and science industries.
Each scholarship - open to immediate family members of Ballance shareholders or company employees - is valued at $4000 a year and can be held for a maximum of three years.
The scholarship recipients are Samuel Anderson of Riverton, Scott Cameron of Hawera, Matthew Hansen of Hamilton, Peter West of Te Awamutu, Thomas Yule of Hastings and Gavin Ralph of Morrinsville.
Warwick Catto, Ballance head of research and environment, said that the New Zealand economy was linked strongly to the success of agriculture and there was a growing need for tertiary-qualified agri-business personnel - from farm-management specialists, to engineers, to vets.
"Education is the key to building capacity and innovative thinking in the fields of science and technology, as well as ensuring the wider agriculture sector remains competitive," Catto said.
He sees the Ballance scholarship programme as part of the solution to fill holes in these sectors and ensure New Zealand retains its competitive edge in the global marketplace.
Industry backs animal welfare
New Zealand's major livestock-production industries are taking a responsible approach to animal welfare standards through encouraging voluntary compliance and proactive initiatives, says Primary Industries Minister David Carter.
He has praised the Primary Industry Chief Executives' Animal Welfare Forum for its contribution to livestock welfare.
A key project of the forum for this year involves working with farmers, meat processors, transport operators, private veterinarians and MAF to ensure that all transported animals are fit for transport.
The group is also focusing on the on-farm welfare and transportation of bobby calves prior to slaughter.
"While the Government plays a key role in setting animal welfare standards, we rely on the livestock production industries to help ensure these standards are met," Carter said.