8 March 2011

Canterbury earthquake Federated Farmers last regular update

This final update from Federated Farmers recaps the mammoth effort put in by volunteers from all over rural New Zealand to meet Christchurch's hour of need.

Federated Farmers on Facebook and Twitter

§ Federated Farmers Farmy Army on Facebook by clicking here

§ Visit Federated Farmers on Twitter by clicking here

Federated Farmers Christchurch office re-opens
After an engineering inspection and remedial building work, Federated Farmers Christchurch office in Burnside has been cleared to reopen.

The Farmy Army's achievements

[cid:image003.jpg@01CBDD91.E4389160]

While the last council organised clean up took place Saturday, Federated Farmers teams were still actively working on Sunday. This is likely to be ongoing ahead of the last big push over the weekend of 18 March (see below for how to volunteer).

But the best way to express what 4,000 volunteers from Federated Farmers, Young Farmers, Rural Women New Zealand, Rural Contractors, walk-up volunteers and local businesses achieved, is in numbers:

§ 4,000 volunteers

§ 5.5 million litres of water delivered into Christchurch (see separate heading)

§ 28,000 hours of digging backed by 3,900 machine hours

§ Removed 70,000 cubic metres of silt (and we're still going)

§ 2,000 kitchen hours have also generated over 5,000 hot meals.

Given 2011 is the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteer, this translates into over one million dollars worth of volunteer time and effort:

§ $594,000 worth of volunteer labour

§ $175,000 worth of voluntary machine time

§ $275,000 worth of water delivered by volunteers.

Federated Farmers is working with agencies and charities to assist those people we've come across. To help the most affected found by the Farmy Army, about 500 meals a day are being delivered to mainly elderly residents thanks to sponsorship from meat companies, Turners and Growers and others. Over the past two weeks, Helen Heddell, a Swannanoa based Federated Farmers and Rural Women New Zealand member, has been coordinating these meal deliveries. We had expected this operation to draw to a close but the difficulties Orion has experienced in connecting electricity to the eastern suburbs may see this service continue a little bit longer with external assistance.

How to keep helping Christchurch from now until 18 March:

Federated Farmers is looking for volunteers to assist people from now until the weekend of 18 March. If you are able to do that, then please call 0800 327 646 (0800 FARMING) during normal business hours to volunteer. You can also volunteer by email at mail@fedfarm.org.nz.

There will be a lot more to come from the Farmy Army over 18, 19 and 20 March
How to volunteer for the Farmy Army's last major operation:

Federated Farmers issues an open invitation to anyone able to help Christchurch with physical and machine power, to please call 0800 327 646 (0800 FARMING) during normal business hours to volunteer. You can also volunteer by email at mail@fedfarm.org.nz, indicating if you will need accommodation. We will also need mini-diggers, loaders and trailers to transport matériel over this weekend that will be based at the A+P showgrounds in Curletts Road. Please pass on the word to everyone you know.

If Christchurch residents, businesses or schools need help from the Farmy Army

Federated Farmers wishes to hear from those residents, businesses and schools in need of support by calling 027 266 7926 (7.00am to 7.00pm) or to 0800 FARMING (0800 327 646), where messages may also be left Alternatively, people can email their requests to help to Federated Farmers by clicking here (mail@fedfarm.org,nz).

5.5 million litres of water delivered into Christchurch
Since the evening of Thursday, 24 February, it is estimated that 5.5 million litres has been drawn from Silver Fern Farms Islington reservoir - an impressive daily average of 550,000 litres. Without Silver Fern Farms making its reservoir available to all Christchurch residents, the speedy delivery of water would have been impeded.

Emergency water deliveries are now starting to scale back, with Raymond Hart's tanker delivering his one-million litre of water last evening. Stephen Bleeker's tankers have delivered 2.5 million litres of water between them to date. Fonterra's tankers operating from Silver Fern Farms have carried an estimated 2 million litres more.

The focus is now on sustaining those areas without water reticulation but this has been a magnificent and determined effort. What is little understood is that in the initial days after the earthquake, hospitals and emergency services ran very low on water. Without the long hours put in by these water tanker drivers many parts of Christchurch would have lacked water.
'Meat the needs of Christchurch' -donate meat and wool to the Adverse Events Trust, a registered charitable entity (no. CC46245) administered by Federated Farmers

1) When farmers are consigning wool or drafting stock to participating companies, please kindly advise company managers the number or value of animals/wool to be donated.

Meat companies helping Meat the needs of Christchurch:

§ AFFCO New Zealand Limited

§ Alliance Group Limited

§ Blue Sky Meats NZ Limited

§ CMP/Riverlands

§ Greenlea Premier Meats Limited

§ Progressive Meats Hastings

§ Silver Fern Farms Limited

§ Wallace Corporation

Wool companies helping Meat the needs of Christchurch:

§ Elders Primary Wool

§ Wool Partners International

2) The company will deduct the value donated from the 'buyer created invoice' they prepare on your behalf.

3) The company will then deposit the value of the animals donated into the Adverse Events Trust bank account 06 0594 0028181 00 (National Bank Hamilton).
NB: GST will not be applied as donations are exempt.

4) Participating companies will forward a summary of the names and addresses of donor farmers and the value of individual donations received to Federated Farmers Hamilton office.

5) Federated Farmers will post back to each donor a receipt in the form of an official Adverse Events Trust letter, which will contain all the information required to be fully compliant with all the Inland Revenue's requirements for claiming back the donation rebate of 33.3 percent (or a third).
NB: Individuals, (including individuals who are partners in a partnership), companies and trusts can obtain a tax benefit from donations. Individuals obtain the benefit by way of a refundable tax credit, whilst companies and trusts obtain the benefit by way of a tax deduction for the amount donated (but only to the extent of the companies net income).

Please contact Paula Kennedy (0800 327 646) or by email at pkennedy@fedfarmorg.nz, if any further technical information is required.

Accommodation will be an ongoing need

If you are able to provide accommodation and have not yet volunteered, then please dial 0800 327 646 (0800 FARMING). Alternatively, please email mail@fedfarm.org.nz.

EQC - check your properties and lodge your claims

Given rural Banks Peninsula was the 22 February earthquake's epicentre, it may have caused new damage following on from the 4 September 2010 earthquake. Members are reminded to check all residential properties on-farm and to lodge appropriate claims with the EQC (and your insurer if applicable). Claims must be lodged with the EQC within three months of the 22 February earthquake.

Members are advised to err on the side of caution. What are seemingly inconsequential cracks now, may become a bigger issue once the claim period lapses. It is recommended you be in the EQC's system. Claims can be lodged by calling EQC's free phone number - 0800 326 243 (0800 DAMAGE). Claims can also be lodged online at www.eqc.govt.nz and members are further advised to take photographic evidence (with a sense of scale) and please, keep a copy of all related bills.

Hokitika Wildfoods Festival recognises the Farmy Army

Volunteers from the Student Volunteer Army and Farmy Army have been invited to take a well earned break at this weekend's Hokitika Wildfoods Festival, after festival organisers offered 500 free tickets to those wishing to attend. These tickets are now being offered to volunteers so people can call Vicky O'Connor on 027 432 0218 or email her voconnor@fedfarm.org.nz. A list of names and addresses of people taking tickets will be compiled so people can turn up at the Hokitika I site centre, produce identification and they will receive their entry ticket.

Postal services update

The mail is now starting to get through and a list of these streets is available from NZ Post's website by clicking here.

Educational facilities

ECE, primary and secondary

Schools are progressively starting to reopen across Christchurch city. It is important to check on the status of schools, so to confirm primary or secondary status, including private and integrated schools, please click here. For Early Childhood Education centres, please click here.

Tertiary

Lincoln University: Semester one commences next Monday, 14 March

University of Canterbury (including the College of Education): There will be limited lectures starting up on campus on 14 March as the University of Canterbury is only beginning a progressive restart on this date. Please refer to daily updates posted on its website.

Christchurch Polytechnic: CPIT's Trades Innovation Institute on Sullivan Avenue plan to recommence a staged delivery of programmes from Monday 14 March. However, CPIT City Campus on Madras Street, including the Childcare and Health Centres, remain inside the Civil Defence cordon and will be closed until at least 14 March. Please refer to updates posted on its website.

Electricity

Orion energy's next update is due after 3pm today.

Road closures
Environment Canterbury's updated list of closed roads in Christchurch twice daily on the Christchurch Earthquake website.

Health and specialist advice

Healthline is a free 24/7 telephone health information service provided by the Ministry of Health and includes mental health. The service is staffed by registered nurses who are able assess health needs before giving information or advice to help you decide on the best level of care. Telephone 0800 611 116 (24/7).

Skylight is a charitable trust providing specialised grief support for New Zealand children, young people, adults and their families. It is providing specialised support following the Christchurch earthquake, which can be accessed by clicking here.

Telecommunications

Telecom, its staff in New Zealand and Australia and through its free Red Cross text-to-donate as well as the Givealittle' appeal - has raised some $667,000 in donations. Furthermore, 10,000 analogue phones have been donated for Christchurch residents.

Telecom has made 260 payphones across Christchurch free for local, national and mobile calls. Around 5,000 calls are being made a day with over 91,000 calls made so far. Three Telecom WiFi hotspots across Christchurch are also free, enabling people without internet access to use free wireless broadband. Telecom set up seven Connect Hubs at welfare centres across the city to provide free phone charging, internet access and telephone services. Four Telecom Retail stores have also offered these services.

Telecom ensured all Civil Defence social assistance sites had telecommunications service since within hours of the earthquake, for example through the provision of temporary mobile sites, and has given around $90,000 worth of phones and credit to charities and volunteers in Christchurch. Around 600 mobile phones have been donated by Telecom to charities and volunteers in Christchurch.

Information for consumers

Telecom is providing free call diversion and waiving termination fees for customers who need to terminate their contract due to their home or premises being permanently unsafe. Customers are also able to suspend their access line until they have a new address, but keep their current phone number (providing they move within the same exchange area).

Can farmers assist urban residents with storage?

It is no secret that this earthquake has compounded the severe damage from September. It is now sadly clear that many houses will be uninhabitable for some time and this is seeing many residents enquire with the Farmy Army about short-term storage. If you are in a position to assist, then please call 0800 327 646 (0800 FARMING) from 9am on Monday or email by clicking here.

Government earthquake helpline

§ The Government's helpline is 0800 779 997.

§ The Earthquake Commission can be contacted on 0800 DAMAGE (0800 326 243).

Red Cross helpline including missing persons

If you are concerned about the wellbeing of friends and relatives in Christchurch, you should call 0800 REDCROSS (0800 733 276).

Thanking those who have helped Federated Farmers work in Christchurch
As this is the very last of the regular updates, Federated Farmers expresses its deepest appreciation to the following companies. On behalf of the Federation, thank you:

§ Alliance Group

§ Bleeker Contracting

§ Caltex

§ Canterbury A & P Society

§ Christchurch City Council

§ Country 99 TV

§ CRT

§ Green Grocers (Jack Lim)

§ Fulton Hogan

§ Hallswell New World

§ Nestle

§ Newstalk ZB

§ NZ Safety

§ NZ Young Farmers

§ Oakleys Spuds

§ On the Field (BSport)

§ One News

§ Rabobank

§ Rakaia Lions Club

§ Raymond Hart

§ RadioLive

§ Radio NZ

§ Rock Gas

§ Rural Contractors (members of)

§ Rural Woman NZ

§ Silver Fern Farms

§ Strat Co

§ Student Volunteer Army

§ Tegel

§ Telecom

§ The Farming Show (Radio Sport)

§ The volunteer kitchen crew (you know who you are)

§ 3 News / Campbell Live

§ Turners and Growers

§ Verkerks

§ Watties

For general information, please contact:
0800 FARMING (0800 327 646)

Federated Farmers earthquake spokesperson:

John Hartnell

Phone: 03 349 5590
Mobile: 021 578 754

Farmer volunteer coordinators:

Michael Morrow

027 579 8664

Willy Leferink
021 796 037

For contacts in North Canterbury:

Neil Stott

Federated Farmers North Canterbury provincial president
Phone: 03 318 8577
Mobile: 027 355 4636

Pam Richardson

Federated Farmers Banks Peninsula branch chairperson
Phone: 03 304 6825
Mobile: 027 447 8551

Murray Rowlands
Federated Farmers North Canterbury Grain & Seeds chairperson

Phone: 03 317 9401

Mobile (text please): 027 242 9542

Kieran Stone
Federated Farmers North Canterbury Dairy chairperson
Mobile: 027 558 8917

Dugald McLean
Federated Farmers North Canterbury Meat & Fibre chairperson
Phone: 03 313 5442

Graeme Albon
Federated Farmers Bees committee member
Phone: 021 025 20328

Staff members:

Ken Algie

Federated Farmers Field Office

027 432 9678

Gillian Bright

Administrative Services Manager

Phone: 0800 327 646

Nick Clark

General Policy Manager

Phone: 0800 327 646

Linda Donnelly

Canterbury Regional Administrator

Phone: 0800 327 646

Anna Mackenzie

Regional Policy Advisor

Phone: 0800 327 646

Vicky O'Connor

Federated Farmers Field Officer

Phone: 027 432 0218

Carly Sluys

Grain & Seed Policy Advisor

Phone: 0800 327 646

Shona Sluys

Bees & High Country Policy Advisor

Phone: 0800 327 646

Sonia Voldseth

Former Senior Policy Advisor

And to all those others we may have inadvertently missed out by name but not by thought. Thank you.

DAVID BROOME
GENERAL MANAGER STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

Federated Farmers of New Zealand
Box 715, Wellington 6140

P 04 470 2160
F 04 473 7269
M 027 448 9170

www.fedfarm.org.nz

This email communication is confidential between the sender and the recipient. The intended recipient may not distribute it without the permission of the sender. If this email is received in error, it remains confidential and you may not copy, retain or distribute it in any manner. Please notify the sender immediately and erase all copies of the message and all attachments Thank you.

P THINK BEFORE YOU PRINT

--
This email communication is confidential between the sender
and the recipient. The intended recipient may not distribute it without the
permission of the sender. If this email is received in error, it remains
confidential and you may not copy, retain or distribute it in any manner.
Please notify the sender immediately and erase all copies of the message and
all attachments. Thank you.

© Scoop Media