The Mid Canterbury farmers who survived the long haul back from a flood damaged property in 2021 understand the plight of North Island farmers whose properties have been inundated by flood waters after Cyclone Gabrielle, says Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers president David Acland.
Those farmers understand only too well how much help will be needed in the weeks and months ahead by those farmers, but the most important thing for people who want to offer goods or time, is for those offers to be delivered in a co-ordinated way, he said.
Federated Farmers nationally has set up links on its web page for people wanting to give time, goods or cash and in the short term that was the best option for locals wanting to help, Acland said.
“If you have the time or skill set then you can register as right at the moment they’re trying to draw things together.
"They’re trying to structure that help.”
There was a lot of energy in the immediate aftermath of a disaster to get things done, and to offer help, but it was a little further down the track that help would be needed,” he said.
After the floods in Ashburton in May 2021 farmers were receiving offers of help and items such as fencing material weeks after the event and that was even better, it’s the grind down the track when help is really needed, Acland said.
“A co-ordinated effort, that’s our goal,” he said.
As well as larger farms where there may still be options for stock feed, there were a multitude of small lifestyle blocks that had been devastated and where there were no other feed options for stock.
“There’s a real intensity of population on those small blocks and they need support too.”

• By Sue Newman