Ashburton Courier: September 24, 2021

NEWS
24 Ashburton Courier, September 23, 2021
www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
Community award winners named
Four individualsand two groups
have been recognised in the 2021
Community Honours Awards.
Theawardsrecognise
contributions and achievements
by peopleand organisations in the
district.
TheMayor’s Awardfor Public
Service went jointlytoTrevor
Croy andPatricia McLaren.
Mr Croy,aformeraccountant,
has beeninvolved with charitable
work including with Advance
Ashburton, Trevor Wilson
Charitable Trust, Mackenzie
Charitable Foundationand
Cancer Society.
Mrs McLaren has cooked and
donated items to Ronald
McDonald House for anumber of
years andsince2016has sold her
pickles, chutneys andjamsand
raisedthousands at Ashburton
Farmer’s Market to support the
cause.
TheAshburton Medal was
awarded to Mid Canterbury Rural
Women NZ Provincial for their
contribution to the district, and
particularlytothe rural
community.
TheCivic Award went to Neroli
Cross, Jim Henderson, andKidz
Methven, which has driven the
establishment of the Methven
Skatepark.
No nominationswere received
in the honorary citizens category.
Adatefor an awards ceremony
is still to be confirmed.
Patricia McLaren
Jim Henderson
Trevor Croy
Neroli Cross
NOTICE OF HELICOPTER
USE FOR INSPECTION
OF TRANSMISSION
LINES IN YOUR AREA.
Transpower, the owner and operator of the National
Grid is carrying out joint testing on the conductor
(wire) onsections of its Benmore to Haywards
HVDC transmission line (between Methven and
Culverden).
This work will involve alow flying helicopter and
testing of conductor by alineworker suspended
below the aircraft at specific locations along the line
as highlighted on the accompanying map.
The work is planned
to occur between
Tuesday 28 September and
Friday 8October 2021.
In the event of bad weather the work will take place in the
following week.
TPAC2330921
Helicopter will be
operating at low
levels in around the
transmission linein
highlighted zone.
73
Ashburton
77
Hororata
Methven
1
Culverden
Rangiora
Waipara
Christchurch
It’s important tousthat you are kept informed and updated onour activities. Ifyou require further
information, please call Brendan Townsend 027 6755 840 or Myles Stichman on 0274 779 693.
7
1
Helicopter
operating zone
Highways
New initiatives at
Lincoln Uni farm
Lincoln University Dairy Farm
(LUDF) is launching three new
farm systems initiatives at its
demonstration farm, all geared
at sustainable dairy farming
practices.
The research focuses on
variable milking frequency,
moving the forage base to
include plantain and on
replacement rate reduction.
LUDF is a186­hectare
demonstration dairy farm
outside Lincoln that aims to
maximise sustainable,
profitable farming by optimising
productivity, environmental
footprint, and animal welfare
targets.
The farmisoperated by South
Island Dairying Demonstration
Centre (SIDCC), an industryfunded
partnership between
Lincoln University, DairyNZ,
Ravensdown, SIDE, LIC and
AgResearch.
The variable milking
programme to be implemented
from the 2021/22 season involves
moving fromtwice­a­day milking
to amore flexible regime of 10
milkings over seven days.
“A variable milking
programme will not only
improve cow welfare through
less lameness, better overall
health condition and enhanced
vigour, but willalso lift the safety
and wellbeing of staff, with
kinder rosters, fewer early starts
and more condensed workloads
allowing for better work/life
balance,” SIDCC demonstration
manager Jeremy Savage said.
Starting soon LUDF will plant
at least 10% of the farm per year
into plantain.
“This is aforage that may
significantly reduce nitrogen
leaching. With cow intakes of
30% plantain or higher we
anticipate LUDFwill achieve
further improvements to its
nitrogen leaching results.
“The potential benefits of
reducing on­farm nitrogen
leaching by up to 20% by
managing the cows’ diets, and
without reducing overall herd
numbers, are obvious and
compelling,” Mr Savage said.
LUDF’s third research
initiative will be agreater focus
on lowering the replacement
rate of heifers for the herd.
Greenhouse gas emissions
modelling shows significant
gains can be madebydropping
the current 28% replacement
rate to atarget of15­18%.
Planting at new reserve
Anative reserve is being set up
at Fairtonfor the community to
enjoy.
It is on donated land,owned
by Talley’s Group, which sits
directlybehind Fairton
School.
The reserve,completewith
lizard garden, will be
accessible through the school.
Aplanting day with
volunteers from the school
community and members of
Kanuka Regenerative Trust
will take place on October1
between 9.30am and 2.30pm.
Anyone else interested in
coming along canRSVPtothe
school on 308 9205. Covid
restrictions will apply.