Ashburton Courier: May 07, 2020

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Page 12, Ashburton's The Courier, Thursday May 7, 2020 Local news at www.starnews.co.nz Rural&Lifestyle Better rural connectivity can’t come fast enough Alice Vlaanderen, of Wakanui, can see the lights of Ashburton from her dairy farm home, but when it comes to online or mobile phone connectivity it’s as though the farm and its households are hundreds of miles from anywhere. The Vlaanderens have an active household of seven, which includes primary and secondary aged children currently doing amix of online and offline learning as part of Covid19 home schooling, and also ahouse on farm for their farm worker’s family. Mrs Vlaanderen said in the area, on the eastern side of Ashburton, they have two rural broadband provider options; Ultimate Broadband or Farmside. Both offer wireless connection but with differing degrees of success. The Vlaanderens struggled for along time to get better service. A$15m nationwide improved rural broadband coverage package, recently announced by government, cannot come fast enough for farmers like the Vlaanderens running businesses and raising families across Mid Canterbury. At one time they could only get 10Gb and paid $150 amonth for the privilege. She still has neighbours just 1km away whose only option is using abad connection. “We’re okay, we have Ultimate which is a satellite, wireless system. ‘‘It’s really good but we can only connect to the system through (neighbours) Wests. We’re lucky we can get it. (In the past) it never worked, it was ridiculous.” It is unlikely they would ever get their dairy shed integrated with online technology as it would cost hundreds of dollars to upgrade. On top of which Mrs Vlaanderen said the area also had limited mobile phone coverage. She said the family was lucky to have alandline telephone because despite living just 15km from Ashburton they also had limited mobile phone coverage; there was just one point in her house Purpose. Environment. Partnership.Innovation. Excellence. • DairyNZ accreditedEffluent Pond Design andConstruction • Pond Constructionand Irrigation Development • Hedgeand Stump Removal • Farm Conversions • DairyTracks– Lime or Gravel • PumpHire • Wellsand Galleries • Bulk Earthworks • Subdivisions where the mobile phone got reception. “It’s terrible cellphone coverage.” Improvements under the package include upgrading some existing rural mobile towers, upgrading wireless backhaul, which connects remote sites to central networks, and installing external antennae on households to improve coverage. Federated Farmers vicepresident Andrew Hoggard said patching up rural connectivity issues was apositive sign for the future of rural communities. Especially as internet speeds for rural users were still likely to make tasks like internet banking, online ordering and online schooling an issue. ‘‘The vast majority of New Zealanders living in towns and cities have absolutely no idea how bad internet access still is in some parts of the country,’’ he said. ‘‘It is good the Government is looking for ways to continue to grow rural businesses with better technology, especially given the postCovid19 world we will be living in, so hopefully this is just the start of athoughtful approach to building rural business and community resilience,’’ he said. Rural Women New Zealand national president Fiona Gower said improving connectivity was vital to successful business, health and safety, education and social connection in rural communities. But would like Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISP’s) included in the funding and a commitment to improving cellphone coverage in rural New Zealand, especially with only 50 percent coverage across New Zealand it was rural communities missing out. “Covid19 has highlighted the issue of digital inequity with incredibly slow rural internet speeds and landlines overloading. ‘‘Across the board, selfisolation and restrictions on bubbles mean that it is vital that communities have the tools to connect to, at the very least, maintain mental wellness.’’ Harvest yields up 16 per cent Despite fewer hectares being planted, 2020 harvest yields are up 16 per cent across the board compared to last year, according to the latest Arable Industry Marketing Initiative survey. It was reassuring news given the season faced harsh weather conditions including hail and flooding. Federated Farmers vicechairperson grains Brian Leadley, of Mid Canterbury, said increased harvest yields with fewer hectares planted was encouraging. Some 98,090ha were planted this season (compared to 104,000ha), yet • Site Works • Tree Shear • Transportation tonnes harvested were substantially up; 873,080 tonnes (796,700 tonnes). ‘‘This is despite asevere early season hailstorm, flooding in some regions and some pretty variable weather. It just highlights that our arable farmers are world class.’’ 2272745 Hardy lichens acommon sight Cleaning agarden bench is one of the jobs I’ve done during lockdown. The wooden slats were covered with the crusty yellow and grey lichens that are quite common on the trunks of fruit trees, the shady side of letterboxes and on roofing iron. Are lichens harmlessly living on the wood of my bench and trees or are they slowly eating away at the wood? Lichens are not plants, but a combination of fungi and another organismthat can photosynthesise (use the sun’s energy to make food), like algae or some types of bacteria.It’s acomplex arrangement, but if the algae or bacteria are providing the fungi with food, then maybe they aren’t eating my bench. The pairing of fungi and algae or bacteria is obviously awinning combo: lichens are found everywhere, from coastal house The pelt house at Silver Fern Farms’ mothballed Fairton plant has been disassembled. Parts of pelt processing operation will be carried out at other plants. Interest in Fairtonsite, butnobuyers to report Arealestate agent marketing Silver FernFarms’ mothballed Fairtonmeat plant saysthereare no developments to report on the saleyet. Offersfor the plant andsurrounding farmlandclosedinMarch; the plant has been decommissioned and the pelthousedisassembled forreuse, the farmcontinues to operate. Multiple partieshad expressed interest in the 485ha,whichcomprised of 32haplantand 453hafarmland. Colliers Internationalindustrial division director Sam Staitesaidthis weektherewas nothingtoreport on the sale process. The currentpandemic conditions hadnot beenafactor,hesaid. Sheepmeatprocessing at theplant stopped in 2017, with the lossof370 jobs,following acontinued decline in regional sheep numbers following land usechange, particularly to dairying. Theplant’speltprocessing operationclosed lastyear with the loss of 44 jobs. Meanwhile, Silver Fern Farmshas delivered abrightsparktogloomy economictimes, posting anet profitof $70.7 million for the yearending December2019. Nature Matters -Mary Ralston roofs to alpine rocks. They can tolerate salt spray, freezing winter temperatures in the mountainsand baking hot summers on top of buildings. Their microscopic spores are blown around the world, allowing them to successfully colonise all sorts of environments. They are often some of the first organisms to coloniseabare surface after adestructive event like avolcano or rockfall. Lichens attach to rocks and start the process of soil formation by secreting acids which break down the rock to form soil. Then plants that are tolerant of exposure to sun, wind and temperature extremes can establish. These plants provide some shade and shelter, allowinga That figure is up fromjust $5.8 million theyearbefore. Thecompanyisjointly ownedby ShanghaiMalingAquariusand the Silver FernFarms (SFF) Cooperative, whichitself postedanet profitof$34.9 million. SFFchiefexecutive Simon Limmer said consumers had drivenupdemand forproteinbecause of thenegative effectthe Africanswinefever hadon Chinese pork. ‘‘With customers in Chinalookingto beef andlambitemstofill some of the void left by thecullingofpigs,itset a positive benchmarkfor other markets to followand they responded accordingly.’’ SFFCooperativewas in astrong position with no debt, chairman Richard Youngsaid. ‘‘Whilstthiswas achieved lastyear, we now haveastrong platform to weather aperiod where ourcountry andthe worldisinaperiodof considerable economic uncertainty.’’ Mr Young said the result wasSFF’s strongest in the lastdecade and ‘‘one thatismore fairlyrepresentative of the significant scale of thebusiness and our investmentinit’’. different group of plants the opportunity to grow. And animals move in and the processgoes on. Perhaps this process, called ecological succession, is playing out on my bench: the lichen may be very slowly breaking down the wood particles to form dusty organic matter which allows another speciesanopportunity to establish. Garden experts say that lichens growing on trees have no effect on the tree. But living things are not usually isolated from their environment–things in nature are always nicely interconnected. I’d say the lichen on the bench was secretly preparing the way for another speciestocolonise –ifI’d left the lichen, next year there would be weeds.
Local news at www.starnews.co.nz Ashburton's The Courier, Thursday May 7, 2020, Page 13 Mid Canterbury Rural &Lifestyle Specialists. Mid Canterbury focus andgetting message acrossthat we areopen forbusiness and that real estategoeson! The value of water Thetopic of wateralways attractspassionate discussioninbothurbanand ruralcircles. Waterreally is the“source of life”. Cleanwater to drink-essential, clean rivers and lakesfor animal lifeand recreation- essential, sufficientwatertosustainplant growthtoprovidefood – essential,beitnaturalrainorirrigation.Especially so if climate change is upon us we needto considerwhatfood canbeproducedifnatural watersourcesbecomelimited. Theconundrum we haveisthataspopulationgrows the quantum of waterisfiniteand needsbesharedor allocatedtomaximise thebenefits. It is here where thewaterusers starttobecome diverse!! Thereare many different callsonour waterresources. LegallytheCrown owns allthe freshwater in New Zealand, much in thesame way asitownsthe mineralsunder theland. Hence theneed to obtainResourceConsents, permits andlicences to utilise naturalresources.These areassessed on a“benefit”versus “detriment’ basiseitheronNational or Regional scale then dropping down to District (say Community )and individualbasis. We all understand waterisnot alimitless resource. Get adry summer in Christchurch andwith everybodyonwaterrestrictions andnotethe angst against waterbottlerstaking millions of litres from theaquifer without anypayment. Shouldtheypay?Ifthey do is it still economic? What is the valueofthe economic benefits lost if they shut?Whatisapriority,keeping our lawnsgreen or providingjobs andincome? Thesame in agriculture.Thereis“competition’ betweenagri waterusers and urbanand recreationalusers forboth qualityandquantity. Thereiscompetition betweenfarmers forthe same resource as theaquifer arenot limitless andgenerallythereisnomoreirrigationwater available unlessyouare in an area serviced by an IrrigationScheme. As afunction of this trade-ablewater rights originatedand werebid for whenoffered in muchthe same way asapropertyTender.InCanterbury Ecan have stepped in,asmodeling suggested the groundwaterresources were largely over allocated, sotrades becomesubjecttoareview andinmostcases Ecan reduced theconsented watertake able to be transferred. This oftenleftthe residual at sub optimal levels and notworth trading from afarmmanagementperspective.Asaresult to my knowledge it hasstoppedthe waterbeing traded. 2510 MethvenHighway Idon’tpretend to hold theanswers. Ithink we allagreeweneedtobecollaborative and theprogress made betweenfarming leadersand waterrepresentative bodiesshould be acknowledgedmorethan it has. Onething Iseeclearly isthat, in MidCanterburywhere I am domiciled, is that forwardthinking pioneersofour irrigationschemes utilising shared waterresources from our rivers,sensible storage, somewithlow energygravityfed pressurised pipedwater, enhancedthewider District andNational economy. The followon is thousands of jobs,broaddiversificationofproductsandhenceabroaderrangeofinternationaltrading partners lowering economic risktoall. Suresomewilldobetterthan others. ButamongstthisI seesomefantasticrecreational opportunitiesaka Twizeland thenearbylakesasanexample whereeverybodygets abenefit.Wecan maximise thesocial and economic benefit when we collaborate. Iturnedmy mind to all this as IwalkedaroundLakeHoodthismorning andheardaradio commentatortalkingabout waterresource charging.Atsome point thiswould createa cost ofnotonlythechargesbutthecost of collectingthem. Maybethe wateruse suddenly becomes uneconomic and developmentstalls. If ourDistricthad to payfor the watertake to feed Lake Hoodwould it ever happened?Ifthebusiness people whodonatedthe seed capitalandtheir timepaid forwater would they have the surplustodonate? Every situation is different butweshouldlook at both sides and assessthe dual benefit as thepriority and work to mitigate the balance. Nothing willeverbeperfect butisthat is nota reason to do nothing? What made methink aboutthis wasthismorning,Isaw aDad with his songoing fishing. They lookedprettyhappy.Isaw somepeople from town on theirbikes. Theylookedpretty happy. Isaw people paddling kayaks.They looked prettyhappy.The foresight ofearlier generationscan take creditfor alot ofpeoplebeinghappynot just in MidCanterbury but all around NZ. Greg Jopson 027 447 4382 Chris Murdoch 027 434 2545 Rodger Letham 027 433 3436 350 Line Road, Methven Paul Cunneen 027 432 3382 Robert Harnett 027 432 3562 Writtenby Paul Cunneen RuralLifestyleSales Consultant pb.co.nz Property Brokers Ltd Licensed REAA 2008
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Ashburton Courier: May 07, 2020

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