August 6, 2025 • 8 mins
North Otago sheep and beef farmer and award-winning environmentalist who can now add ram hogget crutcher to her resume. Today she talks councils, coal and climate change hysteria, plus having a cup of tea with Damien O’Connor and the Greens.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Opening the batting on the country today is North Otago
farmer and sharer. Can I call her that? Jane Smith,
former winner of the Balance Farm Environment Awards. And Jane,
you've taken time out from the wallshared where you've been
on the end of the handpiece crutching the ram hoggots.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Good afternoon, Jamie. Yeah, I certainly wouldn't describe myself as
a share. I can't share it and I'm a very
broken down crutcher. Alunt had a crutch when I worked
for Landcork many years ago down in Shina Basin and
I've never got any better since. So yeah, not tidy
and not fast, but luckily no one's teying me to
do it, Jamie.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
So let's move on to the topics of the day.
You want to talk about Council's coal and climate change hysteria.
Just before we get onto your subjects, you did send
me a text the other day after my chat with
doctor Jacqueline Rowath on snowflakes and the education system. Did
you buy into what she's saying?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Oh, it was fascinating, Jamie, and I just wish at
that interview had gone on for longer. And I said
that to Jack h and I really found that really
fascinating to see in a I mean she sees it
with the different tranches of students coming through. You know,
you've read sort of half the generation. And I found
that really fascinating. So it'd be really really good to
jalve into that a bit more, Jamie. And what I
totally agreed with everything that Jack Colin said and not
(01:13):
making out that the current generation are snow plates. Gosh,
we've got some really great young people around us, but
there's just different expectations out there and different sectors of
these young people. And I think, you know, actually did
just go back to some of those old school you know,
actually just get on with the job and work your
butt off to get somewhere.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Jamie absolutely councils call climate change. Where do you want
to start?
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Well, it's been really interesting, Jamie, to see the nominees
coming through for the local body elections. So it's particularly
fascinated with the Duneedian's nominee list that may have taken
those diversity theory a bridge too far.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
And I see on our front page of.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Their target daut at times today there's a vampire, self
obtained vampire running running for the Miyor of Dunedin born
in the eighteen hundreds, he said, and he turns into
a vat and only drinks blood from people.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
With their consent. So, you know, really is a bit concerning.
There should be a sort of a some sort of
way to make sure that.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
The you know, functioning human beings and I'm sure he's
a lovely guy, but functioning human beings that are capable
of being around the table, you know, only the ones
that you've been putting their name sport. And again, we
want diversity, but I guess it's the bigger picture.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
And we've heard this from.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Shane Jones and we've heard it from Alan Emerson actually
this week when he said we need to put regional
councils out of their misery, and that wasn't so much
the people that are standing. He was talking about the
cost of these large juggernauts as really as very costly
in terms of the opportunity costs if they're not getting
things done. And you know, this can be some really
good people around the table, but they're often often overshadowed
(02:49):
by headline seeking hijackers. And we've seen that that it's
all around the country, including my own y Techi District
Communists Council. Sorry, we've had seen this stuff and outside
consultants actually running the show, and when the rider becomes
heavier than the horse, shamie, it's not good, not good
for anybody.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Coal, I assume you're talking about the Indonesian coal were importing.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah, it's really really interesting, isn't it to say see
that those for you know, that cartail of power companies
are now bringing in that coal and that was always
happening anyway, but you know, they're obviously stopped piling it.
But the point of this isn't so much what they're doing,
it's expect that it's a wake up call. So so
many New Zealanders wake up every morning thinking that their
electricity magically appears from out of space and that the
(03:37):
more electricity they use versus fossil fuels are somehow saving
the planet, when actually the reality is that alternate alternative energy.
So because I'd rather called it that than renewable or
green energy, because to me, the only really renewable energy
is the water based energy that's coming from the dams
up our local Whitechi Valley.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
But it is unreliable.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Renewable energy predictors in terms of being able to know
when you're going to get peaks and troughs and expensive Jamie,
And we see the holier than now companies like Pontier
at the moment. I see they've apported one hundred thousand
tons of wood palettes from Vietnam, so one could assume
that it's probably from rainforest to run their Canterbury milk plants. Now,
(04:19):
they were in the paper, you know, as headlines, saying
wasn't it great that they got rid of their call
five furnaces?
Speaker 3 (04:26):
So I'm not sure that you know that this solution
is any better.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
And then they sit on the holy pulpit with Mesle
giving a sermon on how farmers should drop their natural
biogenic emissions. I mean, it just seems to be a
lack of insight and full sight and transparency on this shaming.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
So you'll be voting in New Zealand first, and Shane
Jones Drill, Baby, Drill.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
I'm not sure about whether I'll go the whole hole
with New Zealand first, Jamie, but I'm certainly you know
again they've got their cause the ability to just be
upfront and next you say, this is what the country
needs or we pay the price in terms of the
cost of living, and it's not going to be the
wealthy amongst New Zealanders that are going to pay the price.
It's going to be again our poorest communities that hit
(05:08):
the hardest. An the energy, food, fuel costs are going
to go through the roofs. So absolutely we need to
bring in house some of these energy solutions, which is
actually going back to the pestue and what we used
to do and actually just being self sufficient as much
as we can.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Jamie, you talked about climate change hysteria. Well, I think
the biggest beatup of recent times has been the price
of butter. People are getting exercised over that. Mikey Sherman
door stopping poor old Miles Hurrell when he was going
to Parliament to explain to Nicola about the price of butter,
which was a complete sham. She's got a big background
(05:44):
in Fonterra. She knew the answers anyhow Yet we don't
seem to get as exercised over like you mentioned, electricity costs,
our rates are eraught and not to mention our insurance.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Exactly, Jamie, and just seeing that the number of cost
sort of just meaningless exercises. You look at the to
talk to a farmer last night that went to the
Waateeqi Wakato Regional Council new palatial palace. So that's a
forty three million dollar building with an eight point nine
million dollar fit out.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
So get this, they've.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Got release relaxation rooms, they've got a table tennis room,
and even better than that, they've got a machine that
drives your umbrella when.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
You walk in.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
I mean, that is just opulence beyond belief, and it
actually makes our target regional Council building not seem so bad.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
But again, the reality.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Is we actually need to have a you know, a
real come to Jesus around us and actually sit down
and work out our unitary authority is the best way forward,
what's the best way for our electricity, what's the best
way to.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Predict protect our food producing areas?
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Because again the loss of biodiversity the land juice change
is huge, and so I guess this climate change is
steria continues to kill off genuine environmental and economic initiatives.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
CHAMEI.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
So I'll be talking to the Green Party. I'm actually
meeting with him in the next couple of weeks. About
that that actually, this unhinged obsession with the missions.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Is going to cost us all and our environment in
the long term.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Now I had Damian I Condors coming to visit you
on your North Otago farm. I'd love to be a
fly on the wall while you and Damien are having
a cup of tea.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Well, actually, I'm looking forward to it, Jamie. I don't
think it will be a disagreement session. It's not going
to be like one of those Monty Python skits. I'm
really looking forward to it. And actually, what I've found
is politicians are quite often that they're most useful when
they are in opposition. So I'm looking forward to it.
Discussion with Jamien. Hopefully we can put under water under
the bridge and I won't certainly won't be calling him
(07:38):
the womy weather like I have have been known Tom
in the past. But yeah, let's be constructive and the
same thing with I won't apologize for any conversations I'm
having with the Green Party that it's really good for
them to understand, you know, where we're going with food
production in this country. And I actually do think for
those in the Green Party.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
They're actually left that are still there.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I think they will understand that, particularly Plumer sheet and
beef stick. The point of view by the visity point
of view and land's change point of view Jamie, so yeah,
bring it on.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Well, good luck meeting with the Greens. I think I'd
soon have a couple with Damen any day. Jane Smith,
thank you very much for your time from your North
Otago farm. Get back on the handpiece and finish crutching
the ram hoggits the Zavo.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Thanks Jamie,
Opening the batting on the country today is North Otago
farmer and sharer. Can I call her that? Jane Smith,
former winner of the Balance Farm Environment Awards. And Jane,
you've taken time out from the wallshared where you've been
on the end of the handpiece crutching the ram hoggots.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Good afternoon, Jamie. Yeah, I certainly wouldn't describe myself as
a share. I can't share it and I'm a very
broken down crutcher. Alunt had a crutch when I worked
for Landcork many years ago down in Shina Basin and
I've never got any better since. So yeah, not tidy
and not fast, but luckily no one's teying me to
do it, Jamie.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
So let's move on to the topics of the day.
You want to talk about Council's coal and climate change hysteria.
Just before we get onto your subjects, you did send
me a text the other day after my chat with
doctor Jacqueline Rowath on snowflakes and the education system. Did
you buy into what she's saying?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Oh, it was fascinating, Jamie, and I just wish at
that interview had gone on for longer. And I said
that to Jack h and I really found that really
fascinating to see in a I mean she sees it
with the different tranches of students coming through. You know,
you've read sort of half the generation. And I found
that really fascinating. So it'd be really really good to
jalve into that a bit more, Jamie. And what I
totally agreed with everything that Jack Colin said and not
(01:13):
making out that the current generation are snow plates. Gosh,
we've got some really great young people around us, but
there's just different expectations out there and different sectors of
these young people. And I think, you know, actually did
just go back to some of those old school you know,
actually just get on with the job and work your
butt off to get somewhere.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Jamie absolutely councils call climate change. Where do you want
to start?
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Well, it's been really interesting, Jamie, to see the nominees
coming through for the local body elections. So it's particularly
fascinated with the Duneedian's nominee list that may have taken
those diversity theory a bridge too far.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
And I see on our front page of.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Their target daut at times today there's a vampire, self
obtained vampire running running for the Miyor of Dunedin born
in the eighteen hundreds, he said, and he turns into
a vat and only drinks blood from people.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
With their consent. So, you know, really is a bit concerning.
There should be a sort of a some sort of
way to make sure that.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
The you know, functioning human beings and I'm sure he's
a lovely guy, but functioning human beings that are capable
of being around the table, you know, only the ones
that you've been putting their name sport. And again, we
want diversity, but I guess it's the bigger picture.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
And we've heard this from.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
Shane Jones and we've heard it from Alan Emerson actually
this week when he said we need to put regional
councils out of their misery, and that wasn't so much
the people that are standing. He was talking about the
cost of these large juggernauts as really as very costly
in terms of the opportunity costs if they're not getting
things done. And you know, this can be some really
good people around the table, but they're often often overshadowed
(02:49):
by headline seeking hijackers. And we've seen that that it's
all around the country, including my own y Techi District
Communists Council. Sorry, we've had seen this stuff and outside
consultants actually running the show, and when the rider becomes
heavier than the horse, shamie, it's not good, not good
for anybody.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Coal, I assume you're talking about the Indonesian coal were importing.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah, it's really really interesting, isn't it to say see
that those for you know, that cartail of power companies
are now bringing in that coal and that was always
happening anyway, but you know, they're obviously stopped piling it.
But the point of this isn't so much what they're doing,
it's expect that it's a wake up call. So so
many New Zealanders wake up every morning thinking that their
electricity magically appears from out of space and that the
(03:37):
more electricity they use versus fossil fuels are somehow saving
the planet, when actually the reality is that alternate alternative energy.
So because I'd rather called it that than renewable or
green energy, because to me, the only really renewable energy
is the water based energy that's coming from the dams
up our local Whitechi Valley.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
But it is unreliable.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Renewable energy predictors in terms of being able to know
when you're going to get peaks and troughs and expensive Jamie,
And we see the holier than now companies like Pontier
at the moment. I see they've apported one hundred thousand
tons of wood palettes from Vietnam, so one could assume
that it's probably from rainforest to run their Canterbury milk plants. Now,
(04:19):
they were in the paper, you know, as headlines, saying
wasn't it great that they got rid of their call
five furnaces?
Speaker 3 (04:26):
So I'm not sure that you know that this solution
is any better.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
And then they sit on the holy pulpit with Mesle
giving a sermon on how farmers should drop their natural
biogenic emissions. I mean, it just seems to be a
lack of insight and full sight and transparency on this shaming.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
So you'll be voting in New Zealand first, and Shane
Jones Drill, Baby, Drill.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
I'm not sure about whether I'll go the whole hole
with New Zealand first, Jamie, but I'm certainly you know
again they've got their cause the ability to just be
upfront and next you say, this is what the country
needs or we pay the price in terms of the
cost of living, and it's not going to be the
wealthy amongst New Zealanders that are going to pay the price.
It's going to be again our poorest communities that hit
(05:08):
the hardest. An the energy, food, fuel costs are going
to go through the roofs. So absolutely we need to
bring in house some of these energy solutions, which is
actually going back to the pestue and what we used
to do and actually just being self sufficient as much
as we can.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Jamie, you talked about climate change hysteria. Well, I think
the biggest beatup of recent times has been the price
of butter. People are getting exercised over that. Mikey Sherman
door stopping poor old Miles Hurrell when he was going
to Parliament to explain to Nicola about the price of butter,
which was a complete sham. She's got a big background
(05:44):
in Fonterra. She knew the answers anyhow Yet we don't
seem to get as exercised over like you mentioned, electricity costs,
our rates are eraught and not to mention our insurance.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Exactly, Jamie, and just seeing that the number of cost
sort of just meaningless exercises. You look at the to
talk to a farmer last night that went to the
Waateeqi Wakato Regional Council new palatial palace. So that's a
forty three million dollar building with an eight point nine
million dollar fit out.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
So get this, they've.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Got release relaxation rooms, they've got a table tennis room,
and even better than that, they've got a machine that
drives your umbrella when.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
You walk in.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
I mean, that is just opulence beyond belief, and it
actually makes our target regional Council building not seem so bad.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
But again, the reality.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Is we actually need to have a you know, a
real come to Jesus around us and actually sit down
and work out our unitary authority is the best way forward,
what's the best way for our electricity, what's the best
way to.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Predict protect our food producing areas?
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Because again the loss of biodiversity the land juice change
is huge, and so I guess this climate change is
steria continues to kill off genuine environmental and economic initiatives.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
CHAMEI.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
So I'll be talking to the Green Party. I'm actually
meeting with him in the next couple of weeks. About
that that actually, this unhinged obsession with the missions.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Is going to cost us all and our environment in
the long term.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Now I had Damian I Condors coming to visit you
on your North Otago farm. I'd love to be a
fly on the wall while you and Damien are having
a cup of tea.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Well, actually, I'm looking forward to it, Jamie. I don't
think it will be a disagreement session. It's not going
to be like one of those Monty Python skits. I'm
really looking forward to it. And actually, what I've found
is politicians are quite often that they're most useful when
they are in opposition. So I'm looking forward to it.
Discussion with Jamien. Hopefully we can put under water under
the bridge and I won't certainly won't be calling him
(07:38):
the womy weather like I have have been known Tom
in the past. But yeah, let's be constructive and the
same thing with I won't apologize for any conversations I'm
having with the Green Party that it's really good for
them to understand, you know, where we're going with food
production in this country. And I actually do think for
those in the Green Party.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
They're actually left that are still there.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
I think they will understand that, particularly Plumer sheet and
beef stick. The point of view by the visity point
of view and land's change point of view Jamie, so yeah,
bring it on.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Well, good luck meeting with the Greens. I think I'd
soon have a couple with Damen any day. Jane Smith,
thank you very much for your time from your North
Otago farm. Get back on the handpiece and finish crutching
the ram hoggits the Zavo.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Thanks Jamie,
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