The Country 10/04/25: Amy Blaikie talks to Jamie Mackay

South Otago farmer and wool advocate who's finally been rewarded for her 15,000-strong, 2020 petition to the Government urging all publicly funded buildings to be built or refurbished with NZ wool carpets and insulation.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yesterday we heard from the government that they're going to
support the wall industry big time by putting wall carpets
and insulation into government buildings and refurbishments. While five years ago,
a South Otago farmer by the name of Amy Blakey
presented a fifteen thousand strong petition to the House of

(00:20):
Representatives which requested all publicly funded buildings and key we
built homes be built or refurbished with New Zealand wall
carpets and insulation. Amy, that you must have been very
pleased had you given up hope on this one.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Oh yeah, a little bit. Yeah, you know, but I
suppose I say, good things take time, don't they. But
you know, brilliant, brilliant to hear that yesterday.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
Now, I did say to Shane Jones earlier in the
show playing Devil's Advocate, was this virtue signaling? And I'm
totally supportive of what they're doing. But in a time
when we're trying to save money, is this going to
be end up being more expensive for us?

Speaker 2 (00:55):
What is it can be?

Speaker 1 (00:57):
Like?

Speaker 2 (00:57):
You know, allan products, they have such good value, they
last longer, they're healthy for us, they're better for the environment.
So you know, you've got to think long term. You
can't just think that the initial short term.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
Absolutely not to mention the landfills with the synthetic carpets.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
Oh absolutely, that's just yeah, yeah, brilliant. I'm just start
with the result.

Speaker 1 (01:19):
I picked up a comment or comment that you'd made
in the media where you did have some reservations about
what practical and appropriate might mean, because it's almost a
where possible let's use wool.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
You're going to read the fine print, aren't you, In
any any sort of legislation or contract. You've learned as
a farming you prepare your hope for the best, but
you prepare for the worst as well. So let's just
be just be mindful. But fingers crossed.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Wool, despite having a bit of a renaissance at the
end of last year, in the beginning of this year,
is still I'm talking about strong wool here is still
in a very sad place. You know, we're in a
place where in some cases not getting enough from from
the fleece to pay the sharers. So we do need
some kick in the pants, We do need a catalyst.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
Yeah, absolutely, And then things have picked up even this year.
Price of strong war is improved. You know, I believe
it's covering costs now and some are gonna be mindful
also to prepare. They will proply. You know, you put
out a good product and then you'll get a good
price for it. So yeah, it shouldn't you know, it's
all good good news.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
I'm glad to hear you've had rewards for your efforts
five years on. Just to wrap it, how's the season
going in South Otago, because I know, like a lot
of the country, you guys were getting pretty dry.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
Yeah, we were, and we're not. We're not used to that.
We don't we don't farm for dry, but personally ourselves,
we've had a really good season. Things were you know,
we missed out a lot of the rain in the
early spring which left a lot of South Loland and
places in Otaga really wet, so where we cut really
well with that. So no, we've you know, a brilliant
season for us, so may may continue.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
Well. Good on you, Amy Blakie, Thanks for some your
time and thanks for the conviction of your ways hanging
in there. You got there in the end.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
Oh not just me, Jamie, I'm just one person. It's everybody,
everyone you know, just you know over fifteen thousand signatures
and there's a lot of people putting in some hard
work behind the scenes, so it's not just me Jamie.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
Thank government listen, thanks for your time.

Speaker 2 (03:18):
Thanks Jamie,