Weather Bomb - The Face of Recovery
When Rupert and Sandra Curd went to bed on Sunday 11 June it was calm and quiet outside their window. Rupert was looking forward to a reasonably settled week on his third generation 300 hectare Dromore sheep, deer and cattle farm. The weather forecast was reasonable and the start of winter had been kind to farmers.
What greeted the Curds and thousands of others on Monday morning was an event that would test the endurance of the hardiest of rural folk and strike at the very heart of New Zealands shamefully underdone rural infrastructure.
While Aucklands media grappled with a half day power cut Mid and South Canterbury residents could only wait until the snow stopped. By Monday afternoon power was off in both regions, telephone lines were dead and for many cellphone batteries were flat or not able to work.
With 65 centimetres of snow right down to the coast, no communication and no weather warning it became clear that the farming community was stranded and in trouble.
It was then, once Rupert had pushed snow off gateways and attempted to feed his 2300 ewes that he attempted to get the plight of the farming community centre stage in the media.
However, Mid Canterbury had a trump card that no other district could play in such a severe weather event. Thirteen years before the districts Federated Farmers had the foresight to set up an Emergency Relief Committee. The independent committee was designed to step in immediately in an event such as a snowfall to help farmers with whatever resource was required.
The committee had been funded by donations from the community and is operated by experienced ex farmers and dignitaries including deputy Mayor John Leadley.
In those first hectic days Rupert was in contact with the committee who organised helicopters to survey the area and dropped portable radios into strategic areas.
So good was the Emergency Relief Committee response that 2000 pigs were saved when a pig shed collapsed near Methven under the weight of the snow.
Snowraking was also organised by the committee and Federated Farmers for those in hill country needing to get stock to lower ground.
As Rupert explains Civil Defence deal more with people issues whereas the local Emergency Relief Committee deal with farmers in business and help to get up and running as quickly as possible.
Both Helen Clark and Jim Anderton praised the work of the committee as did National leader Don Brash on a visit to the region a week later.
The committee also helped out in South Canterbury leading many to comment that other such organisations should be started around the country including in the Manawatu where recent flood events have caused chaos and disruption to the farming community.
In 1992 Mid Canterbury suffered another massive snowfall which although not as bad as 2006, cut communication and power for many days. It was discovered during that snow event that Telecom had only 24 hour back-up battery supplies in exchanges in rural areas. Discussions after the event led to promises that longer life batteries would be installed. That was never done and farmers found themselves grappling with no communication for days as the 24 hour batteries went flat on the first day of the snow.
Rupert Curd is angry that Telecom allowed that to happen and says the break in communications was not acceptable. Some farmers were so desperate they told him they felt like breaking into exchanges and plugging in their generators.
Ongoing discussion between Telecom and Federated Farmers continues with Rupert pushing Telecom to consider designating responsibility for the exchanges to farmers in such an event.
Discussion also continues with power companies who struggled in the conditions to restore power. Over 90 linesmen came from outside the region to help put the power back on but there has still been questions over the two week wait some had to endure in freezing conditions.
Rupert is seizing the opportunity to push Government on the poor quality of rural infrastructure and to encourage them to see the importance of productivity in the rural sector.
Weve got to impress upon the Government (who are shareholders in Telecom and Transpower) that they mustnt demand dividend payments at the expense of capital investment.
Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton has been praised by Rupert Curd and other leaders for his open door policy on the event. Rupert spent much time on the phone to the minister who left his cellphone, home and work numbers and urged Rupert to ring with any problem at any time of night or day.
Rupert is grateful all politicians stayed out of the area in the first week so that the plight of locals was not sidetracked into a political debate.
However the Ministers relief package has not pleased the president. Another $870 000 has been granted on top of the initial $760 000. Of that the Minister has tagged $360 000 for wages to experienced farmer volunteers. However, all the volunteer work was supplied through the emergency committee. $10,000 has been granted for media purposes and $70 000 for technology transfer meetings which Rupert believes have already taken place for free.
Goddamit, weve shown we acted responsibly up until now and weve shown we can handle a budget.
The relief package appears to be based on the Manawatu 2004 floods with one serious difference - that area did not have an Emergency Relief Committee.
Most winter feed crops such as kale and oats were decimated by the snow. Many paddocks that would have fed a dairy herd for two months had to be utilised within two days before they became slimy. This has caused serious feed shortages and forced the price of hay and barley up. For dairy farmers in particular this extra cash outlay is proving tough. On top of that dairy graziers looking to increase their clients cows condition score by 1 to 1.5 have not been able to do that due to loss of feed. Many dairy cows were in a lower condition going into winter than normal due to being milked out this season and with the inability to increase the condition score advisors are warning that there may be a poor calving in the following season.
Rupert Curd is urging Government to consider waiving the road tax on cartage of the extra hay that farmers are buying. Transports are already charging $20-25 per bale for some cartage which is crippling many.
On cropping farms much autumn wheat has not come through the ground and will need to be re-drilled or it will suffer yield loss.
Lambing season has started in the region. Scanners have been reporting a 10 to 15% drop in lamb numbers due to tight feed conditions going into winter and the snow may decrease that further.
Financially the snow will cost the region substantially. At present Federated Farmers is urging farmers to seek advisory help to feed budget tightly.
Serious concerns were raised over groundwater levels going into winter in irrigation hungry Canterbury. Summer was one of the driest in many years and some wells were going dry. The 65 centimetres of snow has completely replenished wells and wiped the fear of drought this year.
What greeted the Curds and thousands of others on Monday morning was an event that would test the endurance of the hardiest of rural folk and strike at the very heart of New Zealands shamefully underdone rural infrastructure.
While Aucklands media grappled with a half day power cut Mid and South Canterbury residents could only wait until the snow stopped. By Monday afternoon power was off in both regions, telephone lines were dead and for many cellphone batteries were flat or not able to work.
With 65 centimetres of snow right down to the coast, no communication and no weather warning it became clear that the farming community was stranded and in trouble.
It was then, once Rupert had pushed snow off gateways and attempted to feed his 2300 ewes that he attempted to get the plight of the farming community centre stage in the media.
However, Mid Canterbury had a trump card that no other district could play in such a severe weather event. Thirteen years before the districts Federated Farmers had the foresight to set up an Emergency Relief Committee. The independent committee was designed to step in immediately in an event such as a snowfall to help farmers with whatever resource was required.
The committee had been funded by donations from the community and is operated by experienced ex farmers and dignitaries including deputy Mayor John Leadley.
In those first hectic days Rupert was in contact with the committee who organised helicopters to survey the area and dropped portable radios into strategic areas.
So good was the Emergency Relief Committee response that 2000 pigs were saved when a pig shed collapsed near Methven under the weight of the snow.
Snowraking was also organised by the committee and Federated Farmers for those in hill country needing to get stock to lower ground.
As Rupert explains Civil Defence deal more with people issues whereas the local Emergency Relief Committee deal with farmers in business and help to get up and running as quickly as possible.
Both Helen Clark and Jim Anderton praised the work of the committee as did National leader Don Brash on a visit to the region a week later.
The committee also helped out in South Canterbury leading many to comment that other such organisations should be started around the country including in the Manawatu where recent flood events have caused chaos and disruption to the farming community.
In 1992 Mid Canterbury suffered another massive snowfall which although not as bad as 2006, cut communication and power for many days. It was discovered during that snow event that Telecom had only 24 hour back-up battery supplies in exchanges in rural areas. Discussions after the event led to promises that longer life batteries would be installed. That was never done and farmers found themselves grappling with no communication for days as the 24 hour batteries went flat on the first day of the snow.
Rupert Curd is angry that Telecom allowed that to happen and says the break in communications was not acceptable. Some farmers were so desperate they told him they felt like breaking into exchanges and plugging in their generators.
Ongoing discussion between Telecom and Federated Farmers continues with Rupert pushing Telecom to consider designating responsibility for the exchanges to farmers in such an event.
Discussion also continues with power companies who struggled in the conditions to restore power. Over 90 linesmen came from outside the region to help put the power back on but there has still been questions over the two week wait some had to endure in freezing conditions.
Rupert is seizing the opportunity to push Government on the poor quality of rural infrastructure and to encourage them to see the importance of productivity in the rural sector.
Weve got to impress upon the Government (who are shareholders in Telecom and Transpower) that they mustnt demand dividend payments at the expense of capital investment.
Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton has been praised by Rupert Curd and other leaders for his open door policy on the event. Rupert spent much time on the phone to the minister who left his cellphone, home and work numbers and urged Rupert to ring with any problem at any time of night or day.
Rupert is grateful all politicians stayed out of the area in the first week so that the plight of locals was not sidetracked into a political debate.
However the Ministers relief package has not pleased the president. Another $870 000 has been granted on top of the initial $760 000. Of that the Minister has tagged $360 000 for wages to experienced farmer volunteers. However, all the volunteer work was supplied through the emergency committee. $10,000 has been granted for media purposes and $70 000 for technology transfer meetings which Rupert believes have already taken place for free.
Goddamit, weve shown we acted responsibly up until now and weve shown we can handle a budget.
The relief package appears to be based on the Manawatu 2004 floods with one serious difference - that area did not have an Emergency Relief Committee.
Most winter feed crops such as kale and oats were decimated by the snow. Many paddocks that would have fed a dairy herd for two months had to be utilised within two days before they became slimy. This has caused serious feed shortages and forced the price of hay and barley up. For dairy farmers in particular this extra cash outlay is proving tough. On top of that dairy graziers looking to increase their clients cows condition score by 1 to 1.5 have not been able to do that due to loss of feed. Many dairy cows were in a lower condition going into winter than normal due to being milked out this season and with the inability to increase the condition score advisors are warning that there may be a poor calving in the following season.
Rupert Curd is urging Government to consider waiving the road tax on cartage of the extra hay that farmers are buying. Transports are already charging $20-25 per bale for some cartage which is crippling many.
On cropping farms much autumn wheat has not come through the ground and will need to be re-drilled or it will suffer yield loss.
Lambing season has started in the region. Scanners have been reporting a 10 to 15% drop in lamb numbers due to tight feed conditions going into winter and the snow may decrease that further.
Financially the snow will cost the region substantially. At present Federated Farmers is urging farmers to seek advisory help to feed budget tightly.
Serious concerns were raised over groundwater levels going into winter in irrigation hungry Canterbury. Summer was one of the driest in many years and some wells were going dry. The 65 centimetres of snow has completely replenished wells and wiped the fear of drought this year.