Minister's hands-on role

For several days he embedded himself in the Clutha Emergency Management bunker and later visited farms and towns in the region to see the situation for himself. He says he visited the small settlement of Toko Mouth where the Tokomairaro River comes out and the Catlins and settlements around the Puerua River.

“The event in Otago was quite coastal in terms of impact and in some cases there was up to a metre and half of water on some farms. In many cases it was the tributaries of the larger rivers that came up fast,” he told Dairy News.

Patterson says his own farm at Lawrence did not get too badly hit by the floods. He says one of the positives to come out was the early warning of the impending heavy rain that allowed farmers to move their stock to safer ground.

“Driving around the district, I didn’t see too many stock in floodwaters,” he says.

In the meantime, Patterson says he’ll continue to monitor the situation and will await the MPI report to see what further assistance is needed from government in Otago and Southland.

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