By Rhea Dasent, Federated Farmers Regional Policy Advisor Federated Farmers supports road safety as a priority in its submission on the Regional Land Transport Plan for Hawke’s Bay. Ensuring road maintenance is adequately funded and actually carried out will complement the safety strategy. Many rural councils are falling further behind in essential maintenance of roads, which shortens the lifetime of […]
Health and Safety
A new way to encourage the use of seat belts
WorkSafe New Zealand has launched a new side-by-side vehicle simulator to try to get the message about wearing seatbelts to click with farmers. Federated Farmers vice president and spokesperson for workplace health and safety Karen Williams and the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Michael Wood gave the simulator a go at the Wellington demo […]
Sharing a farm with the public
Kate Scott, a Federated Farmers member, is the co-owner of remote Rees Valley Station, near Glenorchy. Thousands of people visit her farm each year. Late last year she talked to the Walking Access Commission/Ara Hīkoi Aotearoa about why she and her family support public access and what it’s like to have a stream of tourists on […]
Road care and courtesy needed at harvest time
Harvest season is in full swing and Federated Farmers is urging motorists and the operators of agricultural machinery to show each other some care and understanding. “Not everyone has appreciated the recent sweltering temperatures but for arable farmers in the middle of harvesting, the golden weather is both a bonus and a race to get […]
ACC’s cash back offer on quad bike protection
This year over 35 farmers haven’t made it home safe to their whanau because of a work injury caused by a quad bike accident. Seven of these accidents have been fatal. Every year quad bikes are a major cause of death and injury in rural workplaces with many incidents associated with accidental rollovers. ACC is […]
Changes coming to TB testing programme
From 9 February 2021, OSPRI is updating the TB testing programme, placing greater focus on higher risk areas while maintaining nationwide surveillance. The frequency of on-farm testing will change for some farmers based on different levels of risk. It means increasing testing where the risk is higher and testing less often where the risk is low, such as […]
Staff shortages are undermining safety, mental wellbeing
Skilled staff shortages are not only taking a toll on productivity but also farmer mental wellbeing, Federated Farmers Dairy Chair and rural health spokesperson Wayne Langford says. “Farmers across New Zealand are having to push the limits to get silage/baleage cut, with many crops in the South Island being harvested when it’s wet. “With variable […]