Another $400,000 to help farmers after floods

20 October 2015
Taranaki farmers facing big repair bills from the 20 June floods and slips are being given access to more than $400,000 in additional relief funding – and it should be paid by Christmas.

The funding was announced by the Government last month and will be allocated by the Taranaki Disaster Relief Committee, made up of the region’s three District Mayors and the Chairman of the Taranaki Regional Council, David MacLeod. Applications open this week.

“We’ll aim to have grants approved by early December so the money can get to where it’s needed before the end of the year,” says Mr MacLeod. “We’re keen to move as quickly as we can. The flood event had a big impact – farmers might expect to be hit by such extraordinary damage only once or twice in a lifetime.”

The money comes from a $1.28 million grant for rural infrastructure repair in Taranaki, Whanganui and Manawatu announced by Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Civil Defence Minister Nikki Kaye in September. Taranaki has been allocated 32.5% of the fund, or $416,000, and the Taranaki Regional Council, Horizons Regional Council and the Ministry for Primary Industries have agreed on uniform criteria to govern its distribution. These include:

Grants will be for repairs to uninsurable items only, such as fences tracks and dams, the re-establishment of pasture, crops and forestry, and the clean-up of silt and debris.

Priority will be given to roadside boundary fencing, access tracks and clearing silted pastures.

Funds will be targeted to farms with the most severe damage to productive capacity or infrastructure.

Farmers must contribute at least 50% of the cost of the work.

Grants will be for a minimum of $25,000 and capped at $100,000 for any one farm.
Applications will be open from Wednesday (21 October) to 20 November.

Application forms are available at www.trc.govt.nz/flood-relief/, District Council websites, and at District Council and Regional Council offices.

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