24th June 2026 // Rural News in partnership with Farmlands

Primary Industries New Zealand Awards celebrate sector's best in Auckland Safer Farms ambassador Lindy Nelson wins national safety leadership award Government signals options to shield Waikato farmers from old planning rules Rural News is in partnership with Farmlands as part of CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp - our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch / listen.   Primary Industries New Zealand Awards celebrate sector's best in Auckland More than five-hundred people gathered in Auckland last night for the Primary Industries New Zealand Awards, with dairy leader Jim van der Poel receiving a standing ovation as the night's highest honour was announced. Van der Poel received the Outstanding Contribution to Primary Industries Award, with judges describing him as an absolute titan of the New Zealand dairy industry. Van Der Poel was instrumental in forming Fonterra and chaired DairyNZ through one of its most challenging periods, including Mycoplasma bovis and significant environmental regulation changes. Jamie Mackay was crowned Agricultural Communicator of the Year, while Beef and Lamb New Zealand chair Kate Acland took the inaugural Rural Woman of the Year Award for inspirational leadership in changing the culture and effectiveness of the organisation. Neil Bateup won the Champion Award for decades of service to rural wellbeing, while Danielle Hovmand claimed the Emerging Leader Award, and Parininihi ki Waitotara won the Kaitiakitanga Award for its conservation work.   Safer Farms ambassador Lindy Nelson wins national safety leadership award Meanwhile Safer Farms ambassador Lindy Nelson has been named winner of the Leadership category at the 2026 New Zealand Workplace Health and Safety Awards also in Auckland. The Wairarapa farmer chaired Safer Farms from 2020 to January this year and was instrumental in developing the sector-wide Farm Without Harm plan. She also helped create campaigns including Half Arsed Stops Here and Safer Rides, which offers farmers financial incentives to install crush protection devices on quad bikes. Safer Farms chair Murray Donald says Nelson's leadership is grounded in real farming experience — she understands the pressures farmers face and has consistently championed practical change that makes a difference on farm. Nelson was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2016 for her services to women and agriculture.   Government signals options to shield Waikato farmers from old planning rules Waikato farmers facing potentially costly rules under the regional plan change process have received encouraging news, with Agriculture Minister Todd McClay signalling the Government will look at options to better align regional rulemaking with the incoming national planning system. Speaking at the Primary Industries New Zealand Summit in Auckland, McClay said he had raised the issue directly with Minister Bishop, arguing it made no sense for Waikato farmers to be bound by rules developed under the old Resource Management Act while a new national system was being adopted. Federated Farmers has been urging the Government to pause Waikato Region Plan Change One until major national reforms have settled. Waikato Federated Farmers vice president Andrew Reymer says McClay's comments will be hugely encouraging — but the organisation will now wait to see what options officials bring to the table.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.