Govt highlights benefits for Tauranga in funding deal – but (in smaller type) beneficiaries learn they must repay the debt

Buzz from the Beehive

Geography, ethnicity and your occupation will determine the extent to which you might benefit from the latest hamper of goodies to be distributed by the Beehive.

But be warned. Being a beneficiary may result in levies being imposed.

Roughly interpreting the latest announcements, the beneficiaries are (or appear to be)- 

• Tauranga people (but there’s a taxing sting in the tail); 
• Homeless families in Tauranga’s suburbs (but not many and they must be Maori);   
• Rural people living in just some parts of the country and engaged in the right work;
• A few favoured food and fibre producers;
• An even more select group – some Maori businesses in the primary sector;  
• People needing mental health services (but they must live in the Gisborne area).

The press statements don’t put it quite that  way, of course: 

O’Connor is pleased with the export performance of primary producers but ANZ pundits disapprove of govt impediments

Agriculture  Minister  Damien O’Connor  was  celebrating the  performance   of  New Zealand’s  farming industries  this  week — but  farmers   themselves  are  battling some  of  the  worst  weather   in  recent  history. 

It’s  little   consolation  that  irrigation dams  are  overflowing. Soils  are  saturated  and in some  regions dairy  farmers  are  looking  in  vain for  the  tankers  transporting milk  to  factories.

O’Connor  says  he  is  closely monitoring the  current  weather  events  

He  reckons  in the two years since COVID-19 came knocking on  doors, “collectively, we’ve done a terrific job keeping the wheels of the economy turning”.

ANZ  agri-economists  say the wet conditions  across most of New Zealand have made it very difficult for wintering stock as soils are saturated.  Some regions have received more rain in the past month than they have all year.

Delays getting stock to processors also mean some farms are carrying more stock than normal for this time of the season.

Govt invests in robotics to help harvest the asparagus crop but the Nats are grouching about problems in the pork industry

A flow of Covid-related announcements from The Beehive was interrupted by news of a Government investment in robotics.

The Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund (SFF Futures) is contributing $2.6 million to a $5 million project to develop a commercial-scale autonomous robotic asparagus harvester.  

Project partner Robotics Plus Limited (RPL) will build on a prototype asparagus harvesting robot developed by Waikato University researchers, and the New Zealand Asparagus Council will develop a marketing proposition for exporting the asparagus.

 All other Beehive announcements (when Point of Order checked this morning) related to Covid-19.

The best of those told us more Pfizer is on the way.

Another welcome decision related to driver licences, Warrants of Fitness (WoFs), Certificates of Fitness (CoFs), vehicle licences (‘regos’) and licence endorsements that expired on or after 21 July 2021.  Their validity has been extended until 30 November.