Green rural affairs spokesperson to view flood recovery

Green MP Ian Ewen-Street will be visiting Wanganui, Rangitikei and the Manawatu later this week to gain a firsthand understanding of flood recovery efforts.

Mr Ewen-Street last month called for government relief to include systematic tree planting, especially in the headwaters of catchment areas

"Trees hold the hills together, slow the speed of rainwater run off and reduce the amount of silt that gets carried down to the plains," said Mr Ewen-Street, the Green Party Spokesperson on Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Over two days Mr Ewen-Street will be meeting farmers, local government officials and agricultural experts to discuss flood prevention and mitigation through land management techniques.

Prior to entering Parliament in 1999, Mr Ewen-Street owned and operated a 500-acre, Biogro-certified organic farm in Marlborough Sound and has a background in environmental studies.

What: Green MP Ian Ewen-Street seeing and discussing flood recovery and avoidance. Where: Wanganui, Rangitikei and the Manawatu. When: Thursday 22 & Friday 23 April. Friday morning reserved for media interviews.

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

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