Drought relief expanded to Otago

David Carter
David Carter
The Government is extending drought relief to a further four regions, including areas of Otago and South Canterbury, as some farmers describe the situation as "desperate".

The measures, approved yesterday, would mobilise local Rural Support Trusts to provide support for farmers coping with financial, social or farm management concerns, Agriculture Minister David Carter said.

The declaration of a medium-level drought, triggered an assistance package that covered farm management advice, welfare support and funding for Rural Support Trusts.

In addition, Inland Revenue would offer some flexibility within its income equalisation scheme.

Yesterday's announcement followed a request from the Otago Adverse Support Trust and a recent decision to assist drought-stricken farmers the upper North Island.

The affected areas of Otago and South Canterbury are defined by territorial local authority boundaries, even when not all of each district was affected..

They are Central Otago, Dunedin City, Waitaki, Waimate and Mackenzie.

Bay of Plenty and South Taranaki will also receive relief.

When contacted, a spokeswoman for Mr Carter's office said it was not possible to put a figure on the relief being offered.

Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton said Mr Carter had "made a very correct call".

He recently drove down Post Office Gully Rd, between Windsor and Five Forks in inland North Otago, an area he had been familiar with for the past 50 years.

"I would say the present dryness is approaching the worst I've ever seen," he said.

Mr Familton, who lives at Palmerston, said the southern end of the Waitaki district was "holding on".

North Otago Federated Farmers president Ross Ewing, who farms at Kauru Hill, described the situation as "seriously dry".

How farmers were affected would depend on their operations.

Mr Ewing could recall severe droughts in the 1980s, as well as earlier, when there was "year after year" of drought - "we were getting blown away with dust storms" - and farmers were getting $5 or $6 for ewes and lambs all counted.

"That was desperate."

There were still reasonable markets for stock and farmers had options at the moment.

North Otago Federated Farmers high country representative Simon Williamson said Omarama farmers were "desperate".

"There's not much they can do.

It's going to be very telling if there's a tough winter."

Farmers were saying it was as bad as they could remember and he had heard that it was the driest in the area since 1930.

Irrigation on some properties provided some relief "but there's not enough of it".

The hill country was badly affected.

Mr Carter said with significant parts of both islands now in drought, many farmers were heading for a tough winter.

"As soil temperatures fall, rain will come too late for some, forcing the sell-off of capital stock. As a farmer who has weathered difficult droughts, I know how demoralising this is for farmers and rural communities."

Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean was pleased relief was extended.

 

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement