Flood zone forsaken, claims National

David Carter

National has accused the Government of turning its back on flood-hit Gisborne farmers.

"The cynic in me is asking whether the Government's response to the flooding on the East Coast may have been quite different had it occurred before the election," said National's agriculture spokesman, David Carter.

"It is appalling that the Labour-led Government is turning its back on flooded Gisborne farmers. Some have been hit for the second time in as many months."

Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton said on Tuesday that the Gisborne growers would not be compensated because "we don't have an adequate basis on which to look at Government assistance for weather events of the kind that are going to recur very regularly".

But Mr Carter compared the situation with the assistance given to flooded farmers in the Bay of Plenty this year and in the Manawatu last year.

"In the Manawatu, after a sluggish initial response, the Government put its money where its mouth was," he said.

"There was a procession of senior MPs all pledging significant Government help."

Mr Carter said it took Mr Anderton a week to visit the Gisborne area after the flooding in October.

"Back then he was telling us he'd take the appeals for help to the Cabinet. I think his uncaring approach to the latest event tells us what Cabinet decided."

Farmer John Moroney, who represents Federated Farmers on the recovery committee set up after the first floods in October, said growers were angry at the Government's "inconsistency".

"They look at what was handed out to people in other parts of the country and also to disaster victims overseas, which is fair enough, but there are some pretty desperate growers out there now."

He said the disaster would hit the region hard.

"When you look at the impact on the economy of the whole region, it's quite significant.

"There are people who would usually be employed in cultivating and harvesting and processing who won't have jobs this year, or money to spend locally."

Mr Moroney said the Government was to be commended for making Taskforce Green workers available for the clean-up. However, more help was needed.

Vegfed chief executive Peter Silcock said growers were "obviously deeply disappointed" with the Government's refusal to provide assistance to the flood victims.

He said the growers' organisation believed that the region met the Government's criteria for a special assistance programme, "especially with two disasters like this occurring so close together".

"However, the Government has drawn a line in the sand - the minister has stated that the Government cannot afford to continue to pay out for this sort of thing ...

"The door is still open - he has said there will be some limited assistance available on a case-by-case basis - but it will be up to individual growers to prove extreme hardship, and I wouldn't necessarily be very hopeful."

About 85 growers were affected by the first flood, and many of those had been hit again this week, said Mr Silcock.

"Those who had replanted have been wiped out for a second time ...

"Certainly it's been pretty tough for the last couple of years.

"Profit margins are pretty low to begin with, and this could be the last straw for some people."

Mr Silcock said little if any of the flood damage would be covered by insurance as there was no commercial insurance available for crops.

- NZPA