Hill country future in focus

FARMLAND: Meat + Lamb NZ chairman James Parsons faces up to the audience on the opening day of an East Coast Hill Country conference yesterday in Hastings. PHOTO/PAUL TAYLOR

A conference which could help shape the use of Hawke's Bay hill country farmland over the next 50 years to a century began yesterday.

The two-day East Coast Hill Country Conference, in the Focus Cinema in central Hastings, is being staged by Hawke's Bay Regional Council in association with other lower North Island regional councils in Manawatu and Wellington-Wairarapa.

About 30 speakers including farming and community leaders and professionals are involved.

Minister for Economic Development Steven Joyce, who is expected to address about 140 people today, will focus on the Government regional economic growth programme and how Government is working with the East Coast region to foster job creation and economic growth.

HBRC acting manager Land Management Nathan Heath said the conference aims to involve a range of different perspectives on the long-term future of hill country, which is about 75 per cent of rural land on the East Coast.

Topics include new technologies and industry practices, to sustainable land use, Mori agribusiness and rural communities, all based on achieving the best use of the land.

Mr Heath and facilitator Dr Glen Launder said it was about managing step by step, with an impressive respect for inclusion of "communities" in the environment of farm properties.