Protect
TANK Plan Proposed Plan Change 9
Plan Change 9 is specific to the Tutaekuri, Ahuriri, Ngaruroro and Karamu catchments. This Plan includes rules that affect how land will be used and will establish limits for the taking (abstraction) of water.
Quantity of water abstraction is highlighted in this proposed plan change due to the ground water currently being over-allocated. Controls that are proposed include:
- No further granting of ground water allocations
- Allocation limits and reductions in water usage, using historical metered water and or irrigation calculators
- Minimum flow to increase to 2500 litres per second on the Tutaekuri and further minimum flows for lowland streams
- Water quality will focus on water source, priority and protection on the water
- Controlling and maintaining water temp and flow. Riparian planting is a focus with 200km to be planted over the next 10 years
- Tile drains to be investigated
- Land use. Restrictions on what land is used for, in addition growers will need to demonstrate annual nitrogen loss using modelling. Cropping land on a rotational basis has some exclusion from this when the rotation is the equivalent across all properties. Further clarification is needed on some areas of the land change information.
- Farm plans to be become mandatory for properties larger than 10ha with the aim to involve this with current GAP certification
- Controls for no cultivation areas along water ways, depending on slope.
HortNZ Consultant, Charlotte Drury will be holding further grower meeting next week- please check our event calendar HBFA Event Calendar
We urge growers to attend so they are well informed and to raise examples of potential implications of teh plan change. Please forward any examples to HortNZ by 31 July. Submissions close 14th August.
Foster
Training within our industry is back in full swing now that we are in Level 1 post Covid-19 lockdown. Numbers of trainees look good and are expected to grow for the remaining of this year and into 2021 and beyond. Government are pouring a significant amount of funds into the primary sector, allowing fees free programs to help with the training and re-training individuals into our industry. This is a great thing for Hawke’s Bay and we all really need to embrace this opportunity going forward.
Education
Primary ITO
The Government’s new Free Trades Training package will pay the fees of all Primary Industry Training Organisation (ITO) apprenticeships and training.
Additionally, the Government has announced an Apprenticeship Boost, which promises to pay employers up to $16,000 to either employ or retain apprentices across two years. The Free Trades Training is open from now until the end of 2022.
As an employer, you can take advantage of Free Trades Training and also access money from Work and Income for the Apprenticeship Boost. That will pay employers $1000 a month for first-year apprentices and $500 a month for apprentices for most of their second year.
For information, please contact the Regional Delivery Manager for Horticulture, Jason Smyth Jason.smyth@primaryito.ac.nz or o6 855 9004.
Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT)
Winter has bitten and is affecting some of our outdoor activities. Some of the fruit support structures classes have had to be postponed. Please bear with us and be flexible in terms of catch up classes and on job sign-off.
Once again the government have recognized the importance of the horticulture industry to the overall economy, so all the programmes mentioned below will be fees free. In addition, there is an incentive called “apprentice boost” which encourage employers to train apprentices to a Level 4 standard. The details of how to apply are sketchy but we do know that it will be managed by WINZ. The requirements are:
- Must be leading to a L4 qualification
- Must be more than 120 credits. The L3 and L4 qualifications total up to 165.
- Must have an employment agreement.
- Must have a training agreement. We are working on this.
Year 1 trainees have completed the theory of post and wire for fruit support structures, but the weather interfered with the two-day practical session.
Year 2 trainees have yet to hand in their pruning assessments and the soil properties assessment is due in on the 16th of July. Students also have an “on job” task with some form of soil modification. Please allow them to work with modifications such as fertilising, liming, composting, grading rows etc.
Year 3 trainees have pruning assessments due on the 16th of July. Students are gaining an understanding of different training systems that can be used. Part of this assessment is an interview with their manager. If managers can be available for this task as it is important for the students to understand what you are trying to achieve and what changes you are planning to make. Thanks to those managers involved!
Diploma. The research topic course in this programme is throwing up some really interesting results. I am looking forward to the students presenting their findings and adding to our (and their) body of knowledge.
For further information, please contact EIT Tutor Gordon Reid on greid@eit.ac.nz or 06 8301851.
Promote
Whilst planning is well underway for events in 2020/21, HBFA’s AGM is fast approaching. To be held on the 17th September, more details will follow in the August newsletter.
Keep an eye out on our Facebook page and events calendar for up and coming events. If you have an industry event your business would like us to promote (and you are a member!), please forward details to marketing@hbfa.co.nz and we’ll get it in front of the hort community for you!
And if you have not already done so, please subscribe to our Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages, as we regularly send information through these social media channels – if you like what you see, give us the thumbs up and share with your colleagues!
