An abridged version of this letter was published in the Timaru Herald:

The Green Party Candidate for Rangitata, Gerrie Ligtenberg states that a moratorium on dairy expansion is the first step against the irrigation and farm lobbyists (November 15). This statement is not only out of step with the Greens published policy on agriculture and water quality but it also sets Ligtenberg up for a fight that she does not need to take on. More...

Peter O'Neil, editor of the Ashburton Guardian, hosted a candidate meeting for Ashburton. Held at Ashburton College, around 50 people attended. We were given the opportunity to address them for five minutes then cover a series of questions from the floor.

Here's my opening address: More...

The Transition Timaru public candidates meeting involved an opening address and questions from the floor followed by a break-out session and a final summary. Held at the Caroline Bay Hall, the meeting was well attended with around 80 people and candidates from both the Rangitata and Waitaki electorates.

For the opening address we were asked to cover our party's position on resource depletion, climate change, the ecological system's decline, the global financial system, the end of economic growth, and well being and flourishing; with a special emphasis on making our community resilient. Here's my opening address: More...

The following letter was published in the Timaru Herald:

In Julian Blanchard’s (Labour Candidate for Rangitata) letter on fracking (22nd October), he asserts that our region relies almost solely on the agriculture industry. He then goes on to claim that this industry could be under threat from the process of fracking. Blanchard suggests that we need better information before fracking should be allowed to proceed in our region.

I find this a bit rich from a Candidate who’s prepared to champion policy that we know will have a real and detrimental effect on our agricultural industry. Policies like Labour’s proposed Capital Gains Tax and restrictions on foreign ownership of land will force down the value of our farms while an increase of the minimum wage to $15 per hour will drive up labour costs. Couple this with the Greens loony plans to charge 10 cents per thousand litres of water pumped and one has to wonder if the Left are intent on destroying the very industry that sustains not just our region, but the whole country.

Blanchard may have concerns about fracking and he has every right to raise them. However, with the policy he’s backing, Blanchard has no right to suggest that he has the concerns of the agricultural industry and the prosperity of our region at heart.

As has been recently reported in the Timaru Courier and the Timaru Herald, the level of the Lake Opuha, South Canterbury's controversial irrigation lake is becoming worryingly low. I took a trip out to the Dam, which is near Fairlie, a couple of weeks back to take some photos.

The South Canterbury region has had a dry end to its winter and this is continuing into spring. We're now nearing the start of the irrigation season, and at this time of year, Opuha would ideally be full.

Taken on 2 October 2011, this photo demonstrates the low level of the lake, with the spillway entrance totally exposed. More...

An abridged version of this letter was published in the Timaru Herald:

I write in response to Federated Farmers Vice-President Donald Aubrey's recent opinion piece (3 December). I feel that having attended the Mackenzie Country Symposium, I am in a far better position than Aubrey to comment on both the types of people who attended and the content that was covered. More...

Federated Farmers circulated the following set of questions to all candidates standing for the Timaru District Council. With around half of the expected votes already cast, the candidate responses will likely have little impact on the election outcome. However, it still represented an excellent opportunity to engage with one of the regions most outspoken and influential interest groups. The questions and my response are as follows: More...