Bridging the gap with rural New Zealand
OPINION: One thing I keep hearing from rural New Zealanders is the importance of relationships. Strong relationships don’t just happen - they take trust, consistency, and time.
Katie Milne, a Feds Board member who is helping to coordinate assistance to farmers in areas hit by the quake, says they have not heard from some farmers, but she suspects telecommunications are out and road access cut.
The Feds are coordinating the response of which DairyNZ, Beef+Lamb NZ and others are a part of.
Milne says many hill country farmers are very resourceful and are used to being isolated from time to time. Some have their own helicopters and aircraft. Milne says she suspects many homes and farming infrastructure have been badly damaged, but says on some farms there will be a number of houses and that may help the situation.
Power and fuel will be big issues for farmers and hence the need to get roads cleared as soon as possible.
Milne says once they know the farmers’ needs, they can start matching that with the necessary resources. But at this stage farmers with damage to their properties will need people who are qualified or capable of carrying out that work without supervision.
Well-meaning people who can’t do the necessary work will cause more problems for farmers, she says.
Milne says they want to get an accurate picture of the devastation before the ‘ugly weather’ comes in today and tomorrow.
