Selwyn Times: August 01, 2018

SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Wednesday August 1 2018 3
News
Cattle banned from
school pet days due to M. bovis
• By Emily O’Connell
CATTLE HAVE been banned
from attending some Selwyn
school pet days in a bid to stop
the spread of mycoplasma bovis.
Ellesmere College, Leeston
Consolidated School, Southbridge
School and Ladbrooks
School have all taken a stand
against the cattle disease.
In March, the Government
signed off on the culling of
thousands of animals in a bid to
eradicate the disease.
The Ellesmere Agricultural
Science and Technology club
runs the annual pet day for
Leeston Consolidated School,
Southbridge School and year 7
and 8s students from Ellesmere
College.
Club president Jo Benny said
there will be no cattle on site
during its pet day on November
2, but there may be an electronic
solution.
“I have signed up to a Facebook
page that are looking to
start an online calf club, so kids
can still present their pet calves,
just electronically,” she said.
Mrs Benny said it was “bound
by” the Ellesmere A & P Show’s
decision not to have cattle, as it
BANNED: Cattle have been banned from some Selwyn school
pet days to prevent the spread of mycoplasma bovis.
holds its pet days at the showgrounds.
In spite of the ban, Ladbrooks
School is hopeful judges may be
able to visit each property and
assess the cattle individually.
On Friday, the number of
active infected properties with
mycoplasma bovis in Canterbury
was 19, said a Ministry for
Primary Industries report.
Ellesmere A & P Show
2019
ON THE DOMAIN LINCOLN 2 MARCH 2019
president Trevor Hobson said it
made the call to ban cattle as the
disease is present in Selwyn and
it cannot risk spreading it any
further.
“It was a commonsense
decision. There will be
no backlash from it. It is
disappointing to see it happen,
but it was the sensible decision to
make,” Mr Hobson said.
He was uncertain as to how
long it would be until the show
would accept cattle entries again.
However, cattle classes will
be included in November’s
Canterbury A & P Show.
Show staff said it is
exploring measures to limit
the risk of mycoplasma bovis
contamination.
More than 50 cattle breeders
and show staff attended an
exhibitors meeting recently, with
the majority indicating they
were willing to show stock at the
New Zealand Agricultural Show
2018.
•HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you
agree with the decision to
cut cattle from pet days at
Selwyn schools this year?
Email your views to emily.
oconnell@starmedia.kiwi
In Brief
TICKETS
ON SALE
NOW
www.selwynsounds.co.nz
BREAKDOWN ON RAILWAY
Firefighters were called to move
a vehicle that broke down on
the railway crossing at the
intersection of State Highway 1
and Aylesbury Rd in Burnham
at 7.30am last Tuesday. Rolleston
chief fire officer Nigel Lilley
said trains were stopped
while firefighters spent 10min
removing the vehicle from the
crossing. Crews from Rolleston
and Burnham both attended the
call-out.
EUTHANASIA TALK
Selwyn MP Amy Adams will
host an information evening on
the euthanasia laws currently
before Parliament on Monday
at Rolleston College. MPs David
Seymour and Maggie Barry will
speak from opposing sides of the
debate. Ms Adams wants to hear
what residents think and take
questions. The event will start at
7pm.
SELWYN AWARDS
The Selwyn Awards will be held
at the Lincoln Event Centre on
Saturday night. The biennial
awards honour the outstanding
work and inspirational
achievements of individuals and
organisations from the district.
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