Flood-affected farmers to get more help

The Government says it has relaxed red tape to help farmers in flood-affected regions use unemployed workers.

After visiting areas affected by heavy rains, the Government said recently that up to 50 Enhanced Taskforce Green (ETFG) workers would be made available to help farmers in South Taranaki, Wanganui and Rangitikei with jobs like re-fencing and reinstating access to farms.

The task force is a Ministry of Social Development scheme which subsidises wages in a bid to get disadvantaged people the skills and confidence they need to get into permanent work.

Cabinet has approved $500,000 for ETFG to assist with the flood clean-up.

Social Development Minister David Benson-Pope said today's announcement was in response to a call by Federated Farmers cleanup co-ordinator Brian Doughty for the criteria to be relaxed so farmers could get the help they needed quickly.

Mr Benson-Pope has today confirmed the ETFG workers farmers could call on did not need to be registered unemployed or on stand down for 13 weeks.

- NZPA