Farmers show rural damage to the Prime Minister

Farmers had a chance today to show Prime Minister, the Rt Hon John Key, the damage that has occurred in rural Canterbury after the earthquake on Saturday morning.

“I, along with three other Federated Farmers members, accompanied the Prime Minister through rural Canterbury to see the damage first hand, he was very attentive and studied the details with genuine interest,” says Neil Stott, Federated Farmers North Canterbury provincial president.

“We first went to a potato farm to see the damage to boxes of spuds there and then on to Hororata, to see the damaged home where a young boy fell from the second floor, but luckily survived.

“On the way to our last destination, a dairy farm, we passed the damaged Hororata Church, which the Prime Minister was very interested in, he even made a comment that he would endeavour to have the Church restored, which is good to hear.

“Next we took him to Highfield Road which is at the epicentre of the quake and showed him how the road and paddocks there had shifted significantly.

“I think the visit was very beneficial and provided a good opportunity for us to show the Prime Minister the extent of the damage and to explain to him the problems farmers are facing at present.

“Some of the issues we outlined were around farmers’ worries about the earthquake, what their insurance policies cover and recent warnings that we are not to start our irrigation wells because of the possibility they might be blocked with dirt and silt.

“I used the occasion to outline my concerns around consents where wells have shifted. I wanted to know whether we would need to get new consents, and if we did, whether they would soften the process to make it easier for farmers in the region.

“The Prime Minister listened to all our concerns and I look forward to seeing what Government’s response will be,” Mr Stott concluded.

ENDS

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