Cyclone Gabrielle: Dairy industry uses helicopters in Hawke’s Bay to reach flood-hit farms

Helicopters are being used by dairy industry leaders to provide emergency supplies and get a better understanding of the urgent needs of cut-off dairy farms in flood-devastated Hawke’s Bay.

Industry leaders Fonterra and DairyNZ say access to around 40 dairy farms by roads is impossible or severely limited, mostly due to the destruction of bridges and roads.

This means milk cannot be collected, even if cows can be milked -which appears unlikely due to power outages in milking sheds. Cows that cannot be milked experience discomfort and can develop painful mastitis. Eventually their milk will dry up.

The organisations are concerned about the health and mental wellbeing of isolated farmers.

Fonterra subsidiary Farm Source said helicopters had been used to provide provisional supplies and assess the damage and immediate needs of farmers and to investigate alternative options for milk collection.

Group director Anne Douglas said onboard were operations staff and veterinary specialists.

The aim was to understand roading impacts while the veterinary team members assessed farms.

“The veterinary team will be supporting our farmer shareholders with any farm animal wellbeing concerns ... and we are prioritising the farms that are hardest hit,” Douglas said.

“We are also establishing an understanding of the mental wellbeing of these farmers and any other immediate concerns they have or support that is needed.”

Cyclone flooding has smashed roads and bridges, cutting off dozens of dairy farms in Hawke's Bay. Photo / Dayna Nuku

Also participating in the helicopter missions are industry-good organisation DairyNZ, genetics company LIC and Federated Farmers.

Sarah Speight, DairyNZ general manager farm performance, said the entities had worked together to figure out how to best reach isolated farmers.

Four helicopter missions were made during Thursday and Friday.

“A couple more helicopter flights are planned to continue over the next couple of days to support farmers in need, particularly those who are otherwise inaccessible by road.”

Speight said there were also ongoing issues with communications networks, making contact with some farmers difficult.

The dairy organisations had been using various communications channels including website, social media, text and radio to try to make contact with these farmers.

They were also working alongside local teams and agencies, including the Rural Support Trust, the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s Emergency Management Team, Civil Defence and Waka Kotahi to ensure a co-ordinated response, she said.

Meanwhile, the NZ Veterinary Association (NZVA) is putting a call out to all vets affected by Cyclone Gabrielle, asking how they are faring and what support they need.

“The first of a series of webinars was held [on Friday afternoon] to check in on as many veterinarians as possible,” NZVA chief executive Kevin Bryant said.

“We know telecommunications are still problematic for many people but we are keen to develop a clear picture of what is needed, particularly in remote parts of the country.”

Animal welfare issues had been top of mind for vets since Cyclone Gabrielle hit, he said.

There was concern for animals that had been displaced, made unwell or injured by floodwaters or storm damage. Significant issues had also arisen for many farmers, particularly in relation to cows that have not been milked as usual.

“The key questions we are asking our members are ‘Do you have a good stock of medicines?, Do you have sufficient staff? and Are your clinics able to be used?’” Bryant said.

“Animal food and medicine suppliers have been calling us asking what they can provide and we have had numerous offers from veterinarians and other veterinary professionals to visit cyclone-damaged parts of the country to help out.”

NZVA is keeping a register of veterinarians offering support and will match people with teams in need as required. It was working alongside local emergency management co-ordinators to ensure any additional supplies or personnel were provided in a way that fits with the overall disaster response.

“Aside from the difficulties associated with responding to a disaster like this, the death of vet and volunteer firefighter Dave van Zwanenberg has greatly affected many people in the veterinary community,” Bryant said.