Cyclone Gabrielle’s hit spurs Northland’s first emergency preparedness workshops for farmers

Northland Civil Defence emergency management recovery support adviser Kylie Cox (left) and Northland Civil Defence emergency management specialist for Kaipara Laura Exon with go bags, which are up for grabs at the workshops. Photo / Susan Botting

Cyclone Gabrielle’s huge impact on Northland’s rural sector has triggered the region’s first emergency preparedness workshops for farmers and growers.

The first sessions kick off in Dargaville on Thursday.

Seventy per cent of Kaipara’s kumara crop was lost, 250 dairy farmers went without power, stock died and horticulturists growing avocados, berries and potatoes were badly impacted by the cyclone that hit Northland a year ago this week.

The “business continuity in emergencies” workshops are aimed at supporting farmers and growers be ready for similar major weather events.

“Farmers are a really resilient bunch, sorting a lot of things out themselves. But a once-in-a-lifetime event like Cyclone Gabrielle stretches everybody including farmers and growers, households and Civil Defence itself,” Northland Civil Defence emergency management recovery specialist Mark Trudinger said.

Seven workshops from Kaitāia to Wellsford will be held around the North during February and March.

Trudinger said the workshops had grown out of needs identified as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle by Te Tai Tokerau’s Northland adverse events trust. They were being held in conjunction with Northland Inc.

He said Cyclone Gabrielle’s effects on the rural community included flooding, and fallen trees taking out power lines, fences and farm access.

One workshop feature would be an expert speaking about generators and their emergency use.

“The key thing with generators is to work out in advance of when one is needed,” Trudinger said.

Each of the workshops will feature a local Cyclone Gabrielle-affected farmer or grower - in Dargaville, Kaipara kūmara grower Andre de Bruin - talking about his experience when the cyclone hit and emergency preparedness actions he has taken since to boost readiness for the next major event.

Trudinger said a range of practical tools primary producers could take home and use would feature. These included emergency preparation plans for the home and the property that farmers could go home and put on the fridge or farmshed walls.

“One farmer during Cyclone Gabrielle had to wave goodbye to his wife and children in the Unimog (that came north to help with the response) while he remained on the farm,” Trudinger said.

The seven free 10.30am-1pm workshops are being held at Dargaville on February 15; Kaitāia on February 21; Kerikeri on February 22; Wellsford on March 5; Kaikohe on March 14; Jordan Valley on March 20; and Whangārei on March 27.

Topics covered also include how to plan for animal welfare before emergencies, tips for working with insurers and back-up energy systems to keep the power on during an outage.

Northland Civil Defence will outline key potential emergency risks that have been identified for the region.

Trudinger said storms, heavy weather and flooding were Northland’s most typical threats but lesser-known risks also included tsunami and cyber security.

■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.