The declaration of a medium-scale adverse event was made by agriculture minister Damien O’Connor.
“Two weeks of solid rain has resulted in severe disruption, putting tremendous pressure on our farmers, and they need to know that the Government is there to support them,” O’Connor said.
“The dreadful weather has affected milking and pick-ups, with damage to pasture, fencing, races, stock water and irrigation systems.
“Ministry for Primary Industries field staff, who have been providing advice and assistance on the ground, have yet to determine the full extent of damage and loss but have advised that in these circumstances an adverse event should be triggered, which unlocks funding to speed up the recovery process.
“I’ve agreed that up to $50,000 should be made available to the South Canterbury Rural Support Trust to help provide backing to help these communities on the road to recovery, including pastoral support and specialist technical advice.
“Meanwhile, the West Coast received $30,000 for a flood event in May and some of that funding is still available for use. We will assess whether more is required in that area over the coming days.”
