Limited aid for Gisborne flood victims

The Cabinet has decided not to pay for a full agricultural recovery package for those affected by the recent floods in Gisborne and Tolaga Bay because they were not devastating enough.

However, there will be more help from Task Force Green workers, and rural assistance and New Start programmes are to be extended if necessary to cover growers affected by the floods.

Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton said yesterday that the Government would pay up to $25,000 as its share of a feasibility study on the establishment of flood protection measures in Tolaga Bay. He also said the Government would revisit requests for help if the situation changed.

Mr Anderton said farming was vulnerable to weather events such as frost, hail, floods, drought and tornadoes. The Government stood with people in need but there needed to be discussion between central government, local government, the primary sector and land-based industries about risk management and the role that the Government would play in funding recovery costs of such events.

Government aid is provided so that no regional economy is left devastated by serious weather events "but the scale of the recent East Coast event is not considered significant enough to meet current criteria".

Mr Anderton said work was being done to develop a long-term plan for assistance to communities struck by natural disasters.

"Representative organisations of all stakeholders will be consulted on the development of a comprehensive plan for such decisions so that everyone is crystal clear as to what central government will or won't be responsible for and how weather risk will be managed by the industry and individuals affected."

In the meantime, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and Social Development Ministry officials would carefully monitor how people affected by the East Coast floods were coping.

The Government provided a $150,000 flood assistance package to help recovery.

This package included $70,000 for Task Force Green personnel, $20,000 for heavy equipment hire and $60,000 for unforeseen costs, Mr Anderton said.

Recovery team manager John Clarke said there would be many disappointed growers and landowners who were hoping the Government would provide further assistance.

He said the many professionals involved in the recovery package proposal were saddened that their attempts on behalf of flood-affected growers and landowners had been unsuccessful.

"My greatest concern is the current criteria, which are wide enough to drive a horse and cart through. Cabinet is now only including events of national significance that are beyond the capacity of local communities to respond.

"We have endeavoured to show the flooding was of major significance, as was the Matata flooding which the Government poured millions of dollars into.

"Our only consolation is that the minister has given an assurance that he wants to hear if there are any growers and landowners in severe financial difficulties at the end of the season.

"But that is of no immediate value to those affected."

Mr Clarke said the proposal for help had prompted a major discussion about risk management and the Government's role in funding recovery for such events.

"Unfortunately this discussion is at the expense of Gisborne and East Coast growers, landowners and the regional economy."

The Task Force Green project is to be reviewed in the next few weeks.

- NZPA