Flood Relief Measures
The Government has approved a package to help flood-affected farmers and growers. This package is in addition to already provided relief measures - such as funding for agricultural recovery co-ordinators, enhanced Taskforce Green, Rural Sector Assistance, Rural Co-ordinators, a technical advisory programme, and changed tax law.
Cabinet has approved an Agriculture Recovery Package of about $25 million, most of which is for restoring farm infrastructure and re-establishing cash crops (vegetables, processing, arable, maize silage). In addition there is a broader community package of $15 million that includes more than $11 million in rates remission for those most affected, and additional assistance for road repairs.
The rates remission helps those directly affected by the floods, and also benefits local councils, because a big chunk of rates go into roading costs. The money from government will help councils pay for increased roading costs following the floods.
The agricultural package includes:
- 75 percent government funding for restoring essential on-farm infrastructure; and
- 90 percent government funding for crop re-establishment.
A single threshold of $10,000 would apply to this package. The essential on-farm infrastructure is for fixed uninsurable items such as boundary fencing, essential water supplies (dams, reticulation troughs), essential access (tracks, farm bridges, culverts), essential drainage, flood protection works, and re-establishing silt and water-damaged pasture.
New Start Grants will be provided to farmers and growers who decide to leave their properties to ensure that they leave with equity of at least $65,000. That will be subject to agreement from other creditors that they will not pursue the recipients to satisfy other debts.
Operational details for the relief measures approved under the agricultural recovery programme are being developed. Applications will be assessed by local committees chaired by Agricultural Recovery Facilitators with local farming and forestry representatives to validate claims.
Contact for Enquiries
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington
Tel: 0800 00 83 33
Fax: +64 4 894 0720
Contact this person
