Thursday, July 16, 2020 Since Sept 27, 1879 Retail $2.20 Home delivered from $1.40 THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY DRIFTING AWAY FULL STORY P10 Nitrogen 120720-RH-002 concerns P2 Shipley backs National changes New Zealand’s first-ever female prime ter in multiple portfolios, she’s always earthquake ... he is a solid leader. minister, and former Mid Canterbury across the details, she’s extremely bright “Of course I think they can win.” local, Jenny Shipley has thrown her ... she doesn’t take prisoners and I mean It all started on Tuesday morning support behind the new National Party that in a constructive way. when former party leader Todd Muller leadership team. “She’s not a person who is unkind, announced he was resigning, effective Judith Collins was elected as leader of she’s a person who will look at the facts immediately, due to health reasons. the party, and Gerry Brownlee her dep- and then make a judgement.” Over the next few hours National MPs uty, in a late-night emergency caucus She said Collins and Prime Minister rushed to Wellington from around the meeting on Tuesday after Todd Muller Jacinda Ardern were both capable lead- country, including Rangitata MP An- resigned earlier that morning. ers. drew Falloon, who arrived in Welling- Chasing Shipley told RNZ’s Morning Report “Gerry [Brownlee] is a very good ton on the same flight as Matt Doocey, that Collins may well be the fourth manager,” she said. Nicky Wagner and Ian McKelvie. woman Prime Minister in New Zealand She said the deputy needed to back and that she would be delighted if that the leader and support the caucus. glory were the case. “Gerry is overqualified. I’ve worked “Judith is a very experienced politi- with Gerry in Canterbury when we were CONTINUED P3 P11 cian. She’s been an outstanding minis- in deep and complex trouble post the Local news for local people Mid Canterbury’s only locally-owned daily newspaper Ph 03 307 7900 Gluyas Nissan to subscribe! 79 Kermode Street | (03) 307 5800 Scott Donaldson Sales Manager Mob 027 225 5530 www.gluyasnissan.nz News 2 Ashburton Guardian Thursday, July 16, 2020 www.guardianonline.co.nz Irrigo Centre environmental manager Eva Harris said that, as 80 per cent of its irrigators apply more than 190kg/ha of nitrogen, the Government-imposed cap will have a significantly disproportionate impact on Canterbury farmers. Farmers urged to cut synthetic nitrogen use BY HEATHER CHALMERS cent when the auditing pro- Virginia Serra, of DairyNZ, who Farmers could drop nitrogen [email protected] gramme started about five years is leading a five-year project to usage by about 20 per cent from Mid Canterbury dairy farmers are ago. reduce nitrogen losses from dairy higher rates of around 300kg/ha being urged to start cutting their As 80 per cent of Irrigo share- farms in the at risk Hinds and Sel- without major effect, but cutting synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use holders applied an average of wyn water catchments, said that the last 40kg from the average ap- this season in anticipation of the more than 190kg/ha of nitrogen, work to date had been looking for plication rate of about 230kg/N/ 190kg per hectare cap being im- the Government-imposed cap solutions for the whole farming ha down to the new cap “could be plemented from July next year. would have a significantly dispro- system and the whole nitrogen challenging”, Serra said. At an Irrigo Centre Facing our portionate impact on Canterbury cycle. Normally it would take two Future expo and trade show at farmers, Harris said. “To date we have focused on to three years to increase clover the Hotel Ashburton, farmers Information provided to Irrigo output, which is what is lost to content in pasture, to offset the were told that water quality in from farmers’ nutrient budgets the environment. With this new fall in nitrogen use, and to make Mid Canterbury was under stress showed that while some big ni- regulation we are forced to con- other management changes. and a lot of this was connected to trogen users were applying up to centrate on one particular input “It is difficult to have a hard farming activity. 500kg/ha, the average applica- – nitrogen.” number with a biological sys- Six irrigation schemes operate Irrigo Centre environmental tion rate was coming down. As well as applied nitrogen, the tem.” under the Irrigo banner, covering manager Eva Harris Last year, Mid Canterbury other main sources of nitrogen Serra advised farmers to make 180,000 hectares in Mid Canter- dairy farmers applied an average in pastoral farming were supple- half the cut this season and the bury. Collectively, this represent- being imposed because water 220kg/ha of nitrogen, down from mentary feed and nitrogen nat- other half from July 2021, to meet ed 20 per cent of New Zealand’s quality trends were not going in 250kg/ha in 2015-18. urally fixed by legumes such as the nitrogen cap. irrigated area, Irrigo Centre en- the right direction, Harris said. About 10 per cent of Irrigo clover. Farmers still needed to get vironmental manager Eva Harris “I can’t fight your corner until shareholders were applying more Nitrogen fertiliser was strongly clarity on whether fertiliser use said. I see these trends go in the op- than 300kg/N/ha, Harris said. correlated with nitrogen surplus was calculated over the total or “So, the changes that we make posite direction. So, we need to No information had been pro- and a higher nitrogen surplus was effective farm area, how effluent individually will collectively make make change to see change.” vided by government on how the strongly correlated with nitrogen and non-effluent areas would a big difference to water quality in Positive change was occurring 190kg/ha cap would be calculat- loss, Serra said. be considered, how nitrogen use our catchment.” with almost 75 per cent of Barrhill ed, or what product types were “So while we would have pre- on crops in the milking platform Tighter regulations, cutting ni- Chertsey Irrigation shareholders included, though it had indicated ferred not to have this input con- would be considered, and how trogen applications and nitrogen now meeting good management it applied to synthetic nitrogen trol, it is taking us in the right di- the cap was going to be moni- loss into the environment were practice, compared with 10 per fertiliser. rection.’ tored, Serra said. OUT TOMORROW Check out Guardian Property in tomorrow’s Ashburton Guardian. www.facebook.com/ashguardian www.guardianonline.co.nz News www.guardianonline.co.nz Thursday, July 16, 2020 Ashburton Guardian 3 ACL Smallbone on the move ■ FIRE BRIGADE BY JAIME PITT-MACKAY Fog [email protected] Ashburton is now home to one of the largest heavy vehicle workshops in the South Island. causes Renowned local business, ACL Smallbone has now taken resi- dence at the former Carrfields and Designline coach builders smoke site, on Range Street, and have opened up a state-of-the-art new workshop to complement the relocation. ACL chief executive Gary confusion Casey said the business had ac- quired the site, and had spent close to $1 million creating a modern workshop space. BY JAIME PITT-MACKAY “We have tried to create a [email protected] workshop that is incredibly us- Firefighters were chasing smoke er-friendly,” he said. in the countryside on Tuesday The space will be home to 22 which turned out to have a nat- mechanics, two parts staff and Outside their new workshop on Range Street are (from left) ACL Smallbone workshop manag- ural explanation. four support staff, combing the er Michael Johnston, service manager Shane Pheasant and chief executive Gary Casey. Members of the Ashburton business’ two existing work- PHOTO JAIME PITT-MACKAY 140720-JPM-0002 Volunteer Fire Brigade were shops into one location. called out shortly after 8pm on “We have focused a lot on allowing them to also carry out dealer – merged with Ashburton Johnston said. Tuesday evening, to the Winslow health and safety and technol- on-site painting work on vehi- contracting business, ACL, with The entire business will be area, after a member of the pub- ogy.” cles. a view to expansion. shifted to the Range Street site, lic reported smoke blanketing a There are two 25 metre long In May ACL Smallbone an- They also Izuzu authorised accommodating all areas of the road. pits, one 25 metre long lifter, and nounced it would now be ser- repairers, meaning staff have business in the existing office Chief Fire Officer Alan Burgess two 11 metre long lifters. vicing the South Canterbury and undergone extensive training on space on-site. said the substance covering the “The days are gone of me- Mid Canterbury regions for Sca- that brand’s vehicles. Johnston said the move meant road actually turned out to be chanics laying on their backs to nia – operating from two main “Any mechanic can change the business was still able to car- heavy fog. do the job,” workshop manager locations, Timaru and Ashbur- oil, and stuff like that, but hav- ry out the exact same jobs they “It was quite interesting as the Michael Johnston said. ton. ing it done by a factory-trained had previously, only better, as road was clear but then, four-to- There is also a paint shed on Last year Smallbone Tima- technician means things well as adding a number of new five metres down the road, there site that can take full-size trucks, ru – an existing Scania service can be done much quicker,” services.