Friday, March 29, 2024

Westland collection disrupted

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Road closures and flooding have caused significant disruption to Westland Milk’s farm collections and product deliveries across the main divide but to what extend is still being determined, Westland communications manager Steve Attwood says.
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About 60 suppliers south of Hokitika are cut off and it is likely some milk will have to be disposed of.

“Road closures on the coast and through to Canterbury with Arthurs Pass closed have impeded our ability to collect milk and get product through to Canterbury.

“We are making contact with all our shareholders to get a picture around just what extent the disruption is,” he said.

Farmers in the Lake Brunner catchment and South Westland were worst affected.

“When roads are officially closed we cannot put tankers through due to legal and health and safety reasons.

“We have people phoning up saying they got through in a four-wheel-drive. That isn’t okay for our tankers. We are reliant on official direction.”

Westland hopes to make collections in the Lake Brunner catchment by the end of today but south Westland remains in question with major slips south of Hokitika.

Westland’s Hokitika milk plant is still operational though it has been dealing with a few flooding issues because of the high level of the Hokitika River.

“We still have power and we still have communication so we can operate and we can talk to our shareholders, that’s more than we could do earlier in the year when we had the disruptions with Cyclone Fehi.”

Westland is doing welfare checks on all shareholders and urges farmers with access issues to keep the company informed.

Meantime, getting product to Canterbury is a challenge.

“With road and rail out across Arthurs Pass we are trying to get across via Lewis (Pass). We are pulling in extra transport help and looking at temporary storage solutions meantime – all the way endeavouring to get back to business as usual as soon as possible.

“The forecast does tell us the storm is moving on through now and heading to the North Island,” Attwood said.

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