Record $161k Angus bull settling into new home in Wairarapa
By Penny Miles of RNZ
The bidder who smashed a national price record at the recent Angus bull sales is showing no signs of buyer's remorse.
Elite bull Tangihau U418 is getting settled into his new surroundings in rural Wairarapa and is busy having artificial insemination collection at the local
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What Makes A Bull Worth $161,000? He's 'Beautifully Put Together'
, Journalist The bidder who smashed a national price record at the recent Angus bull sales is showing no signs of buyer's remorse. Elite bull Tangihau U418 is getting settled into his new surroundings in rural Wairarapa and is busy having artificial insemination collection at the local breeding centre. The "totally happy" owner, Keith Higgins of Oregon Angus near Masterton, paid a massive $161,000 for the prized bull, setting a new national price record in the process. And while the price for Lot 16 at the Tangihau Angus sale in Rere set the recent East Coast Angus sales alight, Higgins said there was no hint of regret creeping in. The purchase was worth every cent because it lifted the stud's genetics to the next level, according to the proud owner. And what were the characteristics that underpinned this exceptional bull? "The day of the sale was the first time I saw him," Higgins said. "Just one of those bulls that hits you when you walk past the pen. "Tremendous muscle, tremendous top line, phenomenal nature, very structurally sound and correct when he walks, beautifully put together. "I had to think to myself 'this bull might suit us' and he's very much to the mould of what our cattle are. "And I think he will fit in very well." The bull came from Tangihau Angus near Gisborne, with a long line of cows in the paddock at Oregon Angus east of Masterton waiting to be bred. On the long drive back home from the North Island's East Coast last month, Higgins said he felt extremely satisfied with the purchase and remained that way to this day. "The bull has come home and he's having some tests done to head up to the Tararua Breeding Centre for AI collection," Higgins said. "Hopefully a fair bit of that will be going into Australia. "Then he'll be used in the paddock with a big line of cows. We might even do a bit of AI. We want to utilise him as much as we can in that first season. "We possibly won't sell any semen into New Zealand in the first year." You'd expect the highest bidder setting a record price to be feeling the heat during the auction or its aftermath. Was that the case? "I had no problem with what I did," Higgins said with a chuckle. "I was totally relaxed during the auction system and totally happy with the bull that I've got at this end."
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Tauranga council extends on-demand public transport trial
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Otago Daily Times
a day ago
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Oranga Tamariki's near $2m bill for 'bloated' comms team
By Russell Palmer of RNZ Documents show Oranga Tamariki pays nearly $2 million to its 14 communications staff - after cutting five staff and $500,000 in the past year - while other workers are banned from speaking to media without authorisation. The revelations came from an Official Information Act (OIA) response to questions raised by the Taxpayers Union lobby group. In it, the Ministry for Children confirmed that as of March 31, it employed two media advisers, two communications advisers, two senior media advisers, six senior communications advisers, a chief media adviser and a manager of organisational communications. The total salary budget for the team was $1.97m. "All staff in the roles listed above currently earn over $100,000 per year," the ministry said in its response. A report from a select committee review shows this was down from 19 staff at a cost of $2.72m as of June 30 the previous year, though staff numbers and costs have fluctuated over the past five financial years. Cost figures have been rounded. • 2019/20: 23 total staff, $2.47m • 2020/21: 18 total staff, $2.03m • 2021/22: 16 total staff, $2.00m • 2022/23: 19 total staff, $2.55m • 2023/24: 19 total staff, $2.72m The OIA response also provided details about Oranga Tamariki's code of conduct relating to engagement with the media, which included a directive that no information was to be provided without explicit authorisation. It cited privacy and confidential information as a reason, saying that given the nature of Oranga Tamariki's work, "we have access to confidential, sensitive and personal information. It is expected that all our people will show integrity and follow the law, our policies and systems regarding collecting, storing, accessing and sharing of Oranga Tamariki information". "We do not speak, or provide information, to the media regarding any work-related activity, event or query, unless explicitly authorised," the code states. "It is important that we continue to hold this duty of confidentiality of information even after we leave Oranga Tamariki." Staff were encouraged to speak up about any serious wrongdoing they became aware of "using appropriate avenues", pointing to the protected disclosures whistleblowing regime as one option. In a statement, the Taxpayers' Union said the ministry was "drowning in PR while kids fall through the cracks". "A bloated comms team paid at least 30 percent more each than the median wage would be bad enough in a company, but in a government agency meant to protect vulnerable children, it's obscene." RNZ has sought a response from Oranga Tamariki.
