Minister confident the spirit of rural communities will prevail after cyclone

Tuesday, 28 February 2023

Minister for rural communities Kieran McAnulty says the Government is supporting farmers, growers, whenua Māori owners and rural communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.

Minister for rural communities and Wairarapa MP Kieran McAnulty says the Government is throwing its support behind rural areas affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.

The national state of emergency, which covers Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Tairāwhiti, Hawke’s Bay and Tararua, was on Monday extended for another seven days. Bay of Plenty is no longer covered.

Tararua, which falls in the Wairarapa electorate, was devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle and is still responding to damage caused by flooding the bad weather.

McAnulty, also the minister for emergency management, said in a statement the Government was providing $25 million to start recovery efforts for farmers, growers, whenua Māori owners and rural communities significantly affected by the cyclone.

* Welfare convoys continue to push into remote Tararua communities

* Cyclone-stricken communities encouraged to seek support

Pastoral and arable farmers can receive grants of up to $10,000 to help with recovery efforts.

“Farmers know their farms best and this grant will help them to direct the money where it will help most, which could include repairs to stock-water infrastructure and fencing,” he said.

The support also provides grants to growers of $2000 per hectare, up to a maximum of $40,000, to remove silt from trees and vines, business operations where they support the clean up, and minimise tree and vine losses.

The Government was also committed to working with people on the ground, the primary sector and business community to ensure the recovery goes well.

McAnulty said it was vital the Government helped rural communities so it kept regional economies ticking.

He said the community spirit in Tararua, Central Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, Wairoa and everywhere else he had visited since the cyclone hit was amazing.

“I have seen first hand how rural communities have banded together to assist one another. It’s what rural communities do, be there for each other when times are tough.

“The recovery will take time, but I’m confident that with the spirit of rural communities will prevail.”

McAnulty last week met with Tararua mayor Tracey Collis to discuss how the local response, with support from central Government, would be key for rural recovery.

McAnulty said the Tararua District Council had been working tirelessly for its community, assisting efforts to get essential supplies to cut-off communities and planning the long-term recovery.

“A lot of Tararua District Council staff have left their day job to jump into the local emergency response. The stamina, hard work and determination shown by the council staff to help their own community is inspiring.

“Local councils know their community best and I’m committed to supporting them in their recovery efforts.”

He said the entire east coast of the North Island, from East Cape to the coast of south Wairarapa had suffered significant damage.

“I’ve heard stories of rural communities getting together in wool sheds and going out and hunting for food so that they could keep going, knowing that Civil Defence and the local authorities will get to them.”