There's nothing better than a good shemozzle

Ian McKelvie PHOTO/FILE

Rural New Zealand has a resilience that has seen us overcome difficulties and isolation throughout our history, and it continues today in many forms. Agriculture and environmental tourism rely to a certain extent on young people.

They both require a degree of physicality and fitness that tests us a little as the bones age.

Our challenge is to ensure that our industries and rural New Zealand are attractive places for young and old to live and work.

Saturday in Hunterville was certainly proof that we're rising to the challenge.

This year's Huntaway Festival attracted a large crowd, in particular to watch the Shepherds' Shemozzle. This year a Teen competition was added to the Primary School and Team events, all of which were very well supported and had the flow-on effect of a town full of young people, which was great.

The Shemozzle typifies the ingenuity and resilience of our rural towns. The fantastic support this event gets from Hunterville and the surrounding districts as well as local businesses and individual families, ensures its future success. These types of events often draw attention to the differences between rural and urban New Zealand.

They also provide opportunities for the two to mix. It's a great opportunity for them to get a much better understanding of the issues affecting them.

This is highlighted in a small way by the proposed new drink driving alcohol limits, which is very easily overcome in urban New Zealand by getting a taxi. In rural New Zealand, it's only overcome by not drinking.

It's certainly not going to be good news for our country pubs though I believe the Government has come up with a very sensible compromise in this area.

The legal blood alcohol limit will be lowered from 80 to 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood for drivers aged over 20.

But under the new legislation, if you test between 51mg and 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, you will receive a $200 fine and 50 demerit points; while testing positive to over 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood will remain a criminal offence.

Another of these significant opportunities for the urban/rural information transfer to take place will occur in Feilding on December 6, 7 and 8 with the running of the New Zealand Royal Show.

This is a significant event and one the Manfeild Partnership has been planning for some time. I have had a preview of the activities that make up this year's event and I urge you all to spend a day there if possible. It is an important event on the New Zealand calendar which, amongst other things, will feature some great displays of livestock.

The Royal Show has not been held in the region for a number of years - in fact the very first New Zealand Royal Show was held in Palmerston North in 1927.

One last thing: Momentum is starting to build toward next year's general election and we can expect to see the proposed electorate boundary changes released in the next two weeks.

We have also seen a number of MPs announcing their intention to retire at the end of this term, though I am certain there'll be no shortage of candidates willing to step up and take their place.

All will be revealed over the ensuing months.