KCDC Cr Helps Launch Petition
Opposing Electra Award
By Alan Tristram November 27th, 2009
Kapiti Coast Councillor David Scott was among the first to sign a new petition opposing the Electra Business Award to Turk’s Poultry Farm.
He signed at the Kapiti Animal Welfare Society (KAWS) stand outside Coastlands when the petition was officially launched today.
The petition calls on people to oppose the Electra Business Award which was given to Turks – long a target for animal rights protests.
Judy Morley-Hall, co-ordinator for KAWS, says the group launched the Petition because of their “disgust that a business known for cruel farming practices should be given such an award.”
Another member of KAWS said she hoped the Award could be withdrawn.
Over the three hours the stand was in operation well over 100 people signed the petition — and many gave donations to the cause, says Mrs Morley-Hall.
Mrs Morley-Hall says it’s also planned to take the petition to the Horowhenua
District Council, which is seen as supporting Turk’s Poultry Farm at Foxton.
At this stage, KAWS hasn’t decided whether to petition the Kapiti Coast District Council.
The Mayor of Kapiti, Jenny Rowan, was at the Electra Awards ceremony, where she made a ppresentation to Lady Vera Southward to honour the late Sir Len Southward for his contribution to the business life of Nature Coast.
On the question of why Kapiti people should sign, Mrs Morley-Hall says: “Because Turks are reasonably close to us – and we have a poultry factory farm in Valley Road, Paraparaumu.”
Turk’s Poultry Farm was named the 2009 Electra Horowhenua Kapiti Business of the Year at a James Bond-themed function held at Southwards Theatre, Paraparaumu earlier this month.
Accepting the award, company founder John Turk said he migrated to New Zealand in the 1950s.
“I was a postman for two years, a milkman for 12 years. Then I had a few chickens running around the back yard so my wife said I should be a poultry farmer.”
Turk’s Poultry Farm is now a family-owned and operated poultry producer and processing unit employing 155 staff at five locations from Auckland to Foxton. It has operated in the Kapiti-Horowhenua district since 1966.
The awards were a successful night for Turk’s.
It also won both the Health and Safety and Operational Capability categories.
In a press release, Suzanne Snively, economic development partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and chief judge for the competition, said Turks was a “stand-out business” in the region, exemplifying best practise across all levels.
However, since the award was made, there has been a steadily-growing upsurge of outrage throughout the Kapiti Coast, with dozens of local people writing to newspapers to oppose what they see as Electra’s support for cruel intensive farming methods.