Latest news with #RSE
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Apple venture taking off on dairy farm paddocks
Coastal dairy farm paddocks in Canterbury are being transformed into a high-production horticultural venture. Pendarves is about to become a lot busier as 250ha of apples will be supported by infrastructure on site, including accommodation for 100 staff. Named Tōrea Orchard and referred to colloquially by workers as ''the hort resort'', the orchard will be supported by accommodation for a further 200 seasonal staff off-site, to be built in Ashburton or Rakaia. It's a development that will see millions injected into the Mid Canterbury economy. Conversion is going ahead at pace, despite recent rain and lots of mud. Up to 125 workers on site daily include permanent and overseas staff on the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme. Trellis, involving steel frames and thousands of kilometres of wire, and irrigation, is being installed prior to planting of the first trees on Monday. There will be 900,000 trees in two stages, producing 116 million premium export Rockit and Joli apples per year. Tōrea Orchard is the first large scale Joli planting in New Zealand. Owned by the NZ Super Fund and managed by FarmRight, the orchard will become a significant employer – about 85 full-time equivalent permanents, about 450 for picking over seven weeks, about 150 for pruning. The first picking season will be 2028. Among the first permanent workers is Matt Bentley of Ashburton. The orchard manager began in February. From a cropping background, Bentley said he was enjoying the role, especially staff training and hiring. ''People management is what I love. I think that's what's going to be the best for me, growing people alongside the crop.'' FarmRight managers at Tōrea Orchard are just as excited as orchard manager Matt Bentley about the project. Meeting The Ashburton Courier on site last week were chief operating officer Gavin Tayles, general manager pip fruit Red Martin and general manager NZ Super Fund rural portfolio Ed Tapp. The trio said Bentley was an example of how staff did not need to have a background in horticulture for the many roles on offer. ''It will be a new opportunity for people to get into the industry, and we will teach them what to do,'' Tapp said. Martin said Mid Canterbury's cold winters would be perfect for producing crisp and juicy apples. 'Winter chill condenses the bloom and gives a good fruit set,'' he said. Tayles said the development would inject millions into Mid Canterbury's economy. In about four years, the annual spend on employment would be up to 40 times that of a dairy farm. ''The development will create employment opportunities and flow-on benefits for community groups, churches and sports teams,'' Tayles said. Increased traffic on surrounding rural roads would be minimised with bus and van transport provided for seasonal workers from the off-site accommodation in Ashburton or Rakaia. The off-site accommodation would be for picking and pruning staff brought into the area, likely under the RSE scheme. ''We will be looking to create synergies with other local seasonal workforces to help extend periods of work for people.''
The Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
I was trapped in an abusive relationship at 16, now I'm demanding schools protect teenagers better
A young woman who survived an abusive relationship as a teenager has called for education on domestic abuse and coercive behaviour to be made mandatory for sixth form and college students. Faustine Petron was just aged 16 when she became trapped in a coercive relationship with a fellow college student. When her former partner eventually received a prison sentence for stalking and harassment, she found herself reflecting on the lack of education and resources available for teenagers between the ages of 16 and 18. 'Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) is mandatory from primary until the end of secondary school, but when you turn 16 there's no longer any access to these lessons,' she told The Independent. 'It doesn't make sense to leave out that key group when the average age a person has their first sexual experience is 16. It's illogical.' Current compulsory sex education ends when pupils finish their GCSEs at the age of 16, despite data from the Office for National Statistics showing that women and men aged 16 to 19 were the most likely of any age group to experience domestic abuse. Now studying a Masters in Sociology at the University of Cambridge, her petition, which has been signed by more than 105,000 participants, has received cross-party support and was delivered to No10 Downing Street on Monday afternoon. For Ms Petron, her teenage boyfriend had begun exhibiting abusive behaviour by controlling her movements, which began with him constantly checking on her location. Now aged 25, she believes that she may have been able to spot the warning signs sooner if the topic had been addressed by her college. 'I looked back at my school experience, I never had lessons on what coercive control is. How to identify it and how to get help,' she said. 'Starting the Make It Mandatory petition and seeing it gain such support has been really positive for me,' she added. 'It's been vulnerable and difficult doing it with lived experience as it rehashes memories but I know I'm just trying to make it better.' It comes after a report in April found that misogyny was becoming an increasing topic of concern within schools, with young boys becoming influenced by controversial figures such as Andrew Tate on social media. A report by Women's Aid found that children who consumed misogynistic social media content were almost five times more likely to view hurting someone physically as acceptable if you say sorry afterwards. Meanwhile, one in three women said they found the relationship and sex education they had in school as rushed and awkward, and a third (35 per cent) of 18-25-year-old respondents recalled no education about controlling behaviours throughout school. Lucy Emmerson, chief executive of the Sex Education Forum, which has supported the petition, said:'Extending RSE up to age of 18 is a natural next step to build on mandatory lessons in primary and secondary school. 'Young people have called for this extension because they know just how important relationships education is for them as they approach adulthood. The research evidence backs up their call, showing that education helps prevent sexual violence, abuse and poor sexual health. 'With over 100, 000 signatories to Make it Mandatory's petition and with cross-party support from parliamentarians, the Sex Education Forum calls on Government to close the gap in legislation by guaranteeing RSE to all students up to the age of 18 in further education.' Joining Ms Petron in delivering her petition were domestic abuse campaigner David Challen and Carole Gould, who lost her teenage daughter Ellie after she was stabbed by her 17-year-old ex-boyfriend. Having previously voiced support for the campaign, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said: "Faustine and the team at Make it Mandatory are inspirational, and I have been honoured to be able to campaign alongside them and amplify their voices. 'The 16-19 group is an at-risk age group, and there is a black hole in RSE education for this group currently. The government should do much more to ensure that our young people are able to identify the early signs of abuse and seek the relevant support." Gemma Sherrington, CEO of Refuge, said: 'Domestic abuse can affect people of any age, but younger generations are too often overlooked. With older teenagers experiencing shockingly high rates of abuse, mandatory RSE lessons could offer a lifeline for young survivors. 'The government has pledged to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the next decade, but this cannot be achieved without improved education. Empowering young people to spot the signs of domestic abuse could help break the cycle before it begins, while also showing young survivors that support is out there. 'No matter your age, if you are experiencing domestic abuse, or are concerned about a loved one, know that you are not alone. Refuge's 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline is available on 0808 2000 247, and our confidential live chat is accessible online via A government spokesperson said: 'All abuse is abhorrent, and this government is determined to root it out as part of our mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade through our Plan for Change. 'As part of our review of the relationships, sex and health curriculum, the Education Secretary has been clear that she will ensure children are learning the skills they need to build positive, healthy relationships, right from primary school. 'More widely we are considering every option to fundamentally transform the system and address the issue of domestic abuse head on, and that includes everything from supporting victims to looking at whether we need to change the law.'
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Northern Lithium successfully concludes 60-day long term pump tests and demonstration scale Direct Lithium Extraction trials
Detailed design engineering now underway for construction of first production boreholes and commercial scale DLE plant, underpinned by strong response to fundraising *** Key Points *** Successful completion of 60-day long term pump tests and in-field demonstration scale Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) trials Further confirmation of consistent, economically viable concentrations of lithium in brines at relatively shallow drilling depths with strong flow rates and significant long-term yield potential 1:15 scale DLE plant designed, constructed, installed and operated at Ludwell Farm, Co. Durham by Evove and RSE >300 hours of stable operation in production mode and 3.5 million litres of Northern Lithium live brines processed Strong DLE trial results with 92% end-to-end lithium recovery rates achievable and 96.5% purity of lithium chloride/sulfate product produced Detailed design engineering for first operational production unit now underway to meet target date of first commercial lithium supply from end of 2027. Discussions underway with potential off-take and industry partners Excellent fundraising progress, with GBP3.45 million first tranche closed above expectations Marketing for a second tranche of up to a further GBP2.5 million to start shortly DURHAM, England, June 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Northern Lithium Ltd. ("Northern Lithium or the Company") is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of its recent programme of long term 60-day pump tests and Direct Lithium Extraction ("DLE") trials, which sought to further prove the commercial viability of lithium extraction from brines under the Northern Pennine Orefield in Co. Durham, Northeast of England. Nick Pople, Northern Lithium Managing Director, said, "The results of these recent trials are a great step forward for our unique partnership established to deliver a secure, sustainable supply of lithium for the UK using Northern Lithium's UK lithium brines, Evove's UK developed advanced DLE technology and RSE's UK process engineering expertise." Detailed analysis and interpretation of data collected over the 60-day pump testing period has confirmed and strengthened the results achieved during initial 30-day tests in 2024. In particular, the tests have provided: (i) further confirmation of consistent, economically viable concentrations of lithium in the brines abstracted throughout the test period, underpinning the input assumptions used in the Company's current project economic model, and (ii) confirmed the commercial suitability of the sub-surface hydrogeological formation, through a sustained programme of simultaneous abstraction and reinjection of brines at higher flow rates and for a longer period than previously tested. In a UK first, the demonstration scale trials of Evove Ltd's ("Evove") unique next-generation advanced Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology was a resounding success, proving the plant design and meeting critical production KPIs, including lithium recovery rates and product purity levels. The project is believed to be one of only a handful that have been concluded at this scale world-wide outside China. Trial data was collected by Evove to inform the design of several process efficiency innovations, most notably the cascade operation of ultra selective nanofiltration membranes which are at the heart of this next-generation DLE system. The membranes' proven capability to remove nearly all impurities (especially calcium and magnesium) at the start of the DLE process creates significant efficiencies that translate to superior economics and a viable business case for decentralised production. Evove's modelling, derived from 78 million data points gathered through the processing of 3.5 million litres of Northen Lithium brines, indicates a commercial end-to-end lithium recovery rate of up to 92% from raw brine to final battery-grade product, surpassing the initial project target modelled at 80%, and a purity of lithium chloride/sulfate product produced of up to 96.5%. This exceptional purity simplifies the midstream conversion process to lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide products used in electrical batteries, proving the suitability of Northern Lithium brines and Evove's DLE process, using combined membrane filtration and ion exchange stages, to meet domestic lithium demand and, critically, indicating lower capex and processing costs. Nick Pople said, "We have made considerable progress over the past year and are pleased that our recent long term pump tests and demo scale DLE trials have provided further proof of concept on our targeted path to first commercial production of lithium by the end of 2027. In the current geopolitical climate, it is encouraging that the UK government is recognising that the UK has an urgent need to secure its own domestic lithium supply. The results of our recent tests and trials have confirmed that Northern Lithium now has the opportunity and potential to scale up supply, within the next decade, to significantly more than our current base case target of 10,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium delivered per year from a series of production sites across the Northern Pennine Orefield." Chris Wyres, CEO of DLE technology firm Evove, said, "We are delighted that Evove's advanced filtration technology is helping bring the Northern Lithium project to commercial reality. From the first brine processing at industrial scale in our DLE Test Centre in Widnes in 2023 to delivering fully operational demonstration scale in-field DLE trials this year is a remarkable testament to the unique partnership between Northern Lithium, engineering firm RSE and Evove." Northern Lithium and Evove will now proceed with detailed design engineering for the first fully functioning commercial scale DLE production unit, with operation targeted for end of 2027. In parallel, samples of lithium product produced from the recent trials will be used in discussions with potential off-take partners. Sam Rushworth, MP for Bishop Auckland, said, "Northern Lithium's continued progress towards commercial production and delivery of a domestic supply of lithium at scale, is good news for economic growth and creating jobs in an area that has suffered from de-industrialisation. Beyond the jobs created on site, this opens new economic opportunities in County Durham and the North East and is important to the government's forthcoming Industrial and Critical Minerals Strategy which aims to create a secure and sustainable supply of critical minerals for the UK." FUNDRAISING In September 2024, the Company set out to raise up to GBP6 million to fund its operations and next stage development programme through to the end of Q1 2026, aiming to raise an initial tranche ("Tranche 1") of up to GBP2.0 million to fund activities in H1 2025. Tranche 1 was closed at GBP3.45 million in Q1 2025, ahead of the 60-day pump tests and demo scale DLE trials. Marketing for a second tranche of funding ("Tranche 2"), of up to GBP2.5 million, will commence shortly. Nick Pople added, "The success of our fundraising to date reflects not just confidence in the progress we are making at Northern Lithium, but also a growing acceptance that the UK needs to develop its own secure and sustainable domestic lithium supply. We are confident that Northern Lithium is well placed to play a key part in meeting the UK's fast-rising demand for lithium, across everything from EVs and low carbon infrastructure to key elements of defence equipment." Tranche 2 will be deployed through the rest of 2025 and beginning of 2026 to cover an additional drilling programme along with the preparation and submission of full planning and permitting applications in readiness for next phase of commercial development work in 2026 and 2027. The Company will be assessing fundraising requirements for 2026 and beyond later this year. NOTES TO EDITORS UK demand for lithium It is forecast that the UK will need up to 80,000 tonnes of Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE) per year by 2030 and as much as 135,000 tonnes per year by 2040. The Advanced Propulsion Centre UK said in its Q3 2024 Quarterly Automotive Demand Forecast (January 2025) that Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) production in the UK is expected to top 1.1 million per annum by 2035 creating a demand for over 93 GWh of automotive batteries, from just 13 GWhs of demand in 2024. In 2024 381,970 new fully electric cars were sold in the UK, a 20% market share of all new cars registered that year. More fully electric cars were sold in 2024 than any other and 21% more than 2023. The first quarter of 2025 closed with 21% of all new cars being fully electric, signifying a steady rise in the market share. Battery requirements for grid scale energy storage are also increasing exponentially, adding to the supply chain pressure for lithium. Forecasts suggest global demand for lithium-ion batteries for grid scale energy storage could overtake EVs by 2050. The National Grid ESO, the electricity system operator for Great Britain, is forecasting that the UK will need nearly 200GWh of energy storage by 2050 against 5 GWh of operational grid-scale battery energy storage capacity at the end of 2024. According to the International Lithium Association's report "Lithium 2040" (May 2025), global lithium demand is expected to grow from 1.3Mt LCE today to between 3.6Mt and 5.2Mt LCE by 2040. About Northern Lithium Established in 2017, Northern Lithium is a privately-owned innovative critical minerals development company, based in County Durham, Northeast of England, focused on delivering a secure domestic supply of lithium from the North East for UK gigafactories and the UK's electric vehicle and power storage industries, using sustainable extraction and production techniques. Northern Lithium has up to 45 years' exclusive development, appraisal and production rights covering mineral rights owned by the Church Commissioners for England across circa. 240 sq kms (60,000 acres), of the North Pennine Orefield. The Company is at the forefront of delivering a secure, sustainable domestic supply of lithium at scale for the UK, using its own UK sourced lithium brines, UK developed advanced DLE (Direct Lithium Extraction) technology and UK process engineering expertise. About Evove Evove deploys advanced technology to reduce the cost and environmental impact of the filtration and separation of fluids in lithium, data centres and food & beverage production, as well as in desalination and the treatment of industrial water. For more information please contact: Northern Lithium Nick Pople, Managing Directore: nickpople@ +44 7788 665754 Richard Barton, RB Advisorse: richard@ +41 79 922 78 92 Evove Andrew Walkere: +44 7450 583660 Logo - View original content to download multimedia:
NZ Herald
19-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Young Grower of the Year 2025: Lydia Goodman wins Central Otago regional title
After moving to New Zealand, she shifted from cattle and crops to cherries, discovering a love for horticulture. 'I literally fell into it when I was a backpacker in Wānaka. 'My working visa was about to expire, it was post-Covid, and the industry was crying out for workers.' Goodman snapped up the Government's offer of Supplementary Seasonal Employer (SSE) visas and started work in a cherry orchard in Tarras. 'I just loved it, the outdoors work and the passion and leadership in the industry. 'I have been here ever since.' Now Goodman has five years of experience managing teams in orchard and packhouse operations and holds Level 3 and 4 Certificates in Fruit Production. She entered the Young Grower competition to develop her technical skills, build connections with like-minded professionals, and challenge herself. 'It was a great experience completing seven modules across the day, along with two practical components, and a speech in the evening. 'The big one for me was pruning a tree in front of two big names in the field.' Goodman, who manages a team of 12 RSE workers, as well as being a manager in the pack house, said she loved the outdoor work and the passion and leadership in the industry. 'One of the best things is teaching the team how to do their job, and seeing the passion develop as they learn and understand things like the physiology of a tree. 'That really fuels me.' Her ambition is to become a Central Otago cherry grower. Runners up were Jared Loewen from Roxburgh, who is redeveloping his family's orchard, Stone House Gardens, to improve productivity and sustainability; and Mackenzie Maaka from Cromwell, who is studying Level 4 Horticultural Fruit Production at a polytechnic. The Young Grower of the Year competition celebrates the success of young people in the industry and encourages others to consider a career in horticulture. Local organisers host and run the regional competitions independently, with Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) hosting the final in a different part of the country each year. Entry is open to both commercial fruit and vegetable growers from across the regions, up to the age of 30. HortNZ chief executive Kate Scott said the competitions played an important role in highlighting the wide variety of career opportunities in the industry. 'The regional Young Grower competitions and the national Young Grower of the Year final could not happen without the commitment of so many industry professionals across the country who give up their time to help organise them,' Scott said. 'Thanks to their dedication, we can celebrate the skilled young people we have pursuing careers in the sector and raise awareness of those career opportunities to others.'
1News
15-05-2025
- Health
- 1News
Learning about gender: Is it appropriate for school students?
Re: News asked recent school leavers and a high school teacher what they think about the proposed changes to sex education, which could mean students no longer learn about gender identity in their health classes. Watch the full video on TVNZ+ In 2020, Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) guidelines were introduced for teachers. They were an optional resource and included detailed information about gender identity and sexual orientation. One school leaver Re: News spoke to said some of the topics included in those guidelines 'could definitely be seen as inappropriate, especially at a young age'. Another said the topics should be taught at a young age and the Government shouldn't take that education away from kids. The guidelines were removed in March. ' If parents actually knew what was taught, then I think the stigma would go — Teacher Ben Rogers | In New Zealand First's 2023 election manifesto, the party said it wanted to 'remove gender ideology from the curriculum' when it negotiated its coalition agreement. While on the campaign trail that year, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the party was 'going to make sure we go back to teaching education and stop indoctrination". In March 2025, the guidelines were taken down from the Ministry of Education's website. The Ministry of Education is aiming to release a new health curriculum by 2026 and they're currently consulting on it. In April, a new RSE framework was put up, both for consultation, and as an interim support for teachers to use until the curriculum is released. Unlike the 2020 Guidelines, the new framework does not explicitly mention gender identity and only mentions sexual orientation in one section. The Ministry of Education says it's focused on making sure sex ed content is 'age-appropriate' and 'evidence-informed'. It says the RSE framework was made by its own experts, and that it looked at a range of international guidance while writing it, including guidance from UNESCO. ' We wouldn't be the kind of men we are today without knowing all these sorts of things — Recent school leaver | But UNESCO's guidance has a whole section on understanding gender, which says students should learn to respect people's unique gender identities and understand why transphobia and homophobia are harmful. Ben Rogers is a Year 9 and 10 health and PE teacher at Onslow College in Wellington who supports teaching students about gender identity and sexual orientation. 'I definitely think teaching that is appropriate for that age group, because it's at that time when they're starting to form their identity and their feelings around that,' he says. Ben says he teaches his students that gender identity 'is a thing' in the sense that some people don't identify with the gender they are assigned at birth. He says it's better for students to learn about these topics in a safe classroom environment, which helps prevent misinformation and skewed views from taking root. 'This isn't as scary as what people think it is. And if parents actually knew what was taught, then I think the stigma would go.' Watch the full video on TVNZ+
