Federated Farmers has welcomed the injection of $4 million to help farmers, growers, whenua Māori owners and rural communities mobilise and co-ordinate cyclone recovery efforts.
President Andrew Hoggard said the breadth of destruction by Cyclone Gabrielle had been “unprecedented” and that the funding would only be an initial response.
“For some farm businesses, the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle coming on top of Cyclone Hale and an already unseasonably wet season in North Island provinces will be a body blow,” he said.
“The toll on roading and electricity networks will be extremely costly, urban areas have been pummelled too.
“Federated Farmers will be advocating strongly to the government that its prime focus, and additional resources to fix that infrastructure, should be top of their agenda.”
Federated Farmers said it was concentrating on assisting the hardest hit districts including Coromandel.
“We’ve also been in contact with the New Zealand Banking Association, Inland Revenue and other agencies to ask them to explore postponement of hard deadlines and other ways to help lessen immediate financial impacts,” Federated Farmers said.
“[Federated Farmers] has had calls already from less impacted farmers asking how they can help colleagues who have taken a hit.
“We’ve set up systems on our website to register those offering labour, resources or donations.”
To register for labour, resources or donations visit: fedfarm.org.nz
