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This page contains this week’s e-diary national notices.
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This week’s notices:
Bird flu detected in NZ
The Ministry for Primary Industries has announced the H5N1 strain of avian influenza (bird flu) has been detected in New Zealand in a single ocean-going sea bird. The risk to human health remains low but farmers and other landowners who may encounter wild birds on their properties should remember that if you see three or more sick or dead wild birds in a group, do not touch or handle them. Instead, report the sighting to the Exotic Pest and Disease Hotline on 0800 80 99 66. For more information see MPI’s website.
Environment Canterbury notifies Plan Change 8
Plan Change 8 (PC8) to the Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan proposes changes to water management, including amendments to better support and enable the construction of wetlands to deliver environmental and flood management benefits, enable consent holders to change the use of water, and the removal of barriers to infrastructure activities that intercept groundwater. B+LNZ will submit on the proposed wetland construction rules and encourages farmers to also get involved. We also want to hear from farmers who have experienced consenting issues relating to constructed wetlands to inform our submission – email examples to [email protected]. Submissions are open from 4 July to 4 August 2026. For more information see ECan’s website.
Nominate bulls for Beef Progeny Test
B+LNZ is calling for bull nominations for the 2026 mating of the across-breed Beef Progeny Test. This is an opportunity for stud breeders to be part of the Informing NZ Beef programme and gain valuable insights into their bulls' progeny performance. Open to Angus and Hereford breeds. Nominations close 30 August. Find out more here.
Become a Growing Future Farmers farm trainer
Help shape the next generation of sheep and beef farmers by becoming a Growing Future Farmers (GFF) farm trainer. Host a student on your farm, build your leadership and coaching skills, and play a direct role in developing future talent for the sector. You'll receive support every step of the way, with structured training, resources and regular guidance from the GFF team. Learn more about what's involved and register your interest on GFF’s website. B+LNZ is proud to sponsor GFF.
Further update on Waikato Plan Change 1 and what B+LNZ is doing
This week we emailed farmers in the Waikato and Waipā catchments with further information on our work on Waikato Regional Council’s PC1. We have written to Minister Bishop to outline our concerns where the requirements of PC1 and the upcoming new RMA legislation do not appear to mesh. B+LNZ has been working on PC1 since 2012 and has invested significant resources in this process due to the national precedents it has set. While we didn’t get all the changes we strongly advocated for, PC1 is better than it was. We’ll continue to support PC1 farmers through these changes as much as we can, and are working closely with WRC around how PC1 is implemented.
Women in farming wellbeing survey
Massey University and Lincoln University are running a survey on the health and wellbeing of women in farming across New Zealand. If you live and/or work on-farm, they would love to hear from you. It takes around 15 minutes, is anonymous, and you can enter a draw to win one of four $100 Swandri vouchers. At B+LNZ, we see this as an important opportunity to support rural women and ensure their experiences help shape future research and support. Complete the survey today.