Commenting on the preparedness of Taranaki farmers for natural disasters, she said the re-purposed group had worked on forming networks of expertise and support.
Messages were also going out to farmers concerning relatively simple things like provision of food and water for themselves and their livestock.
The main message was business continuity – the ability to get through three days of isolation and self-help before the network was active and priority categorisation could begin.
“If the volcano were to erupt, grass is going to get toxic quickly and the animals would have to come to covered shelter for feeding and the nearby troughs would need to be covered.”
Animal evacuation was not a very realistic scenario because after a disaster Civil Defence would insist on people before animals and stock trucks would clog the roads.
“That means the authorities would have to tear farmers away, leaving behind their livestock, which raises animal welfare issues and brings in vets, AsureQuality, MPI and the Police to ensure safe and effective killing of animals.”
Muir said farmers were unlikely to do pre-emptive destocking by evacuation if the mountain woke up.
“It would have to be strong rumblings before we moved – that is the risk you take living on a volcano.”
