Growers upset over lack of flood help

The Gisborne railbridge and rail line after 400mm of rain fell at Labour weekend. Picture / Hawke's Bay Today

Gisborne growers affected by the Labour weekend flooding are devastated by news the Cabinet has decided not to fund a full recovery package.

"I am standing here in the rain in one of my flooded paddocks, trying to work it, pulling wire out of the mud and I hear that news - I am really pissed off," said Mark De Costa, who lost two-thirds of his crops to flooding.

After going out on his own in the business only two years ago, the lost crops had hit his business hard and he had been hoping for Government help.

"It makes you wonder what is going on - if the Government is going to do it for one region they should do it for us.

"If we had got some money it would have meant this would have only been a bad season - not really bad."

Mr De Costa was hoping the crops he had planted would be successful.

Another severely affected grower, Henry Dods, was shocked to hear the news.

He lost a third of his crops planted at Tolaga Bay and the Poverty Bay Flats for the premium early market, and said he was very disappointed with the Cabinet decision.

"If you were able to get all the costs back, you would be able to survive."

Mr Dods said his cropping business was getting back on schedule, but there was definitely going to be less money around this season.

Cedenco's agriculture manager Luke Hansen said his company was extremely disappointed.

"The Government is sending mixed messages to rural communities throughout New Zealand. There were payouts in Manawatu and Whakatane and nothing here."

Vegfed president Brian Gargiulon said yesterday that the impacts of the Labour weekend floods were already flowing through the community, but they would hit hard early next year when crops that had been destroyed would have been harvested and paid for.

"Many growers will be struggling then, and there will be ongoing effects on employment and downstream industries," Mr Gargiulon said.

"We will definitely see some changes in the industry and to the whole Gisborne economy over the next year and that is concerning."

The floods destroyed about 2000ha of crops at an estimated cost of $10 million.

The Government provided a $150,000 flood assistance package to help recovery, including Taskforce Green assistance and New Start programmes which will be extended if necessary.

Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton said on Wednesday that the Government would pay up to $25,000 as its share of a feasibility study on the establishment of flood protection measures in Tolaga Bay.

It would re-visit requests for help if the situation changed.

- NZPA