Clutha district farmers plead for more help after devastating wind storm

Wind damage on a farm in the Clutha district. Photo / RNZ, Katie Todd

By Katie Todd of RNZ

One week after a wind storm tore through the south, some Clutha district farmers say the financial hit could be harsher than they originally feared.

Suzie Roy said that, after a week without power - trying to hold her stock in with kilometres of boundary fencing flattened by falling trees - she had learnt her insurance would cover only building damage.

“How do we move forward, with 200 kilometres of fencing that needs doing, and 75% of our trees on 1600 acres down?

“It’s quite daunting looking at it at the moment when the damage is just fresh and it’s going to take months, well, years, to get everything done.”

Others were facing a similar hit.

Michaela and Phil Swanson said their farm, which had been “smashed”, would also need extensive, and unfunded, fence repairs.

“Unless you’ve got specific fencing insurance, they [the insurers] are not going to help,” Michaela Swanson said.

“I mean, how many farmers know that you’ve got to do that?”

At community meetings, authorities stressed there was assistance available, including hardship grants from the Ministry of Social Development and the Rural Women New Zealand adverse events fund.

Insurers urged farmers to take photos of damage and lodge their claims as soon as possible.

Phil Swanson said the Government needed to stump up more.

“We spend millions of dollars on catastrophes overseas.

“And there’s what, $150,000 in a mayoral relief fund. Which goes into what? Bureaucrats’ pockets? Cups of tea and biscuits?

“Where’s the help for our people, our nation?”

Farmer Phil Swanson has pleaded for the Government to stump up more relief money. Photo / RNZ, Katie Todd

This week, logging crews have been out in force across the Clutha district and were asking residents not to attempt to clear trees themselves.

Farmer and forester Graham Hunter said he was concerned there were not enough people to get through the enormous workload, and believed the Government should consider sending in extra crews.

Hundreds of kilometres of fencing have been flattened. Photo / RNZ, Katie Todd

At the current rate, he said, he was worried the trees he had grown for 30 years would rot where they lay before contractors could reach them.

He estimated they would take a month to clear.

“And that’s just on our place. How many people here [at this meeting]? Probably 200 ... so that’s the depth of it.

Insurers have urged farmers to take photos of damage and lodge claims as soon as possible. Photo / RNZ, Katie Todd

“Just so much work. It’s hard to see how it’s going to happen.”

Hunter said that, a week on from the storm, the adrenaline had worn off and he was beginning to face the fallout.

“It happened on Thursday, and Friday was horrible.

“Saturday was just a bit numb, totally numb.

“Every day that passes, you make a wee bit of progress.

“Reality has sunk in now.”

- RNZ