11. AMY ADAMS (National—Selwyn) Link to this
to the Minister of Agriculture
What is the Government doing to support the rural Canterbury community through the earthquake recovery?
Hon DAVID CARTER (Minister of Agriculture) Link to this
The Government has moved urgently to assist rural Canterbury in its earthquake recovery. We have formed a rural recovery group, involving organisations such as Federated Farmers, Fonterra, banks, insurance companies, and Irrigation New Zealand. To assist this group, we have employed a rural recovery coordinator, who has specific responsibility for overseeing quake recovery efforts and establishing exactly what extra Government assistance might be needed.
A full stocktake of damage is still being undertaken, but current estimates are that 300 to 400 farms have sustained some damage, with approximately 100 to 150 of those quite badly damaged. Damage primarily involves buildings, silos that have tipped over, inoperable dairy sheds, and some ground cracking. A major concern is the impact the quake might have had on underground irrigation infrastructure, and we are currently working to ascertain the extent of this damage and what work will be needed to fix any damage prior to summer.
What further steps is the Government considering to support affected rural businesses and communities?
Most farms are getting back to business as usual, but it is clear that a number of rural properties have damage that may not be covered by insurance. Once the rural recovery coordinator provides the Government with a full picture of this damage, we will consider whether any further assistance is warranted.