Floods will mean lay offs for some farm workers

3.00pm

Some flood-ravaged farmers say they will have no choice but to lay off workers.

Federated Farmers Vice President Charlie Pedersen says some farms are in such a state it will be weeks before they can be cleaned up and repaired so that stock can be returned and farming start again.

In the meantime farmers will not have the income to employ staff.

The Government has advised Federated Farmers that staff being made redundant as a result of the flood will not be required to wait the usual stand down period before becoming eligible for the dole.

The Rangitikei area is one of the worst hit by the past week's flooding and probably the most helpless.

Rangitikei District Council CEO, Leigh Halstead, says they do not have their own radio station, for example, and are struggling to get the publicity they need to highlight their plight.

He says Rangitikei has the smallest population and the lowest socio-economic data, so they need the most help.

Donations can be made to the Rangitikei Mayoral Relief Fund at any ANZ bank.

Meanwhile, the Royal New Zealand Air Force knows first-hand the devastation the flooding has wreaked.

Crews have spent up to 40 hours rescuing stranded homeowners, monitoring flooded rivers and more recently, dropping food packages.

Squadron leader Sarah Currie says it has been an extremely busy and often dangerous week.

She says Monday morning was the worst.

Two crews got airborne, even though the winds were slightly out of limits for the Iroquois.

The air force will be on standby throughout the weekend.