Readiness & Recovery Plan for Natural & Climatic Disasters in Rural Areas

MAF is currently reviewing the Government's policy for recovering from adverse events in rural areas through the Review of the On-farm Adverse Events Recovery Framework.

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This leaflet explains who is responsible for responding to adverse events in rural areas that affect farming and horticulture business viability.

The Government's initial concern is for the safety of New Zealanders

If human life is in danger a Civil Defence Emergency will be declared by the local authority and assistance will be provided accordingly. 

Such declarations are relatively rare and events can usually be managed without using such powers. Some events may require an urgent response that has to be managed with central government assistance. This brochure explains the circumstances when Government support may be provided.

What is the responsibility of rural people?

Rural people should consider risks they face from extraordinary climatic and other natural events. They should develop strategies to protect their families, businesses and communities from those risks. Appropriate strategies might include setting aside reserves of money, food and livestock feed, keeping insurance up to date, constructing buildings away from areas of high risk, and keeping stock in good health.

Minor Events

Every year there are some agricultural disasters usually climatic which impact on individual, or localised farms and/or orchards. Affected people organise a local response with local government assistance.

Individuals can get Taxation Relief if the farm business is forced to sell livestock.

Your accountant will be able to assist you make an application under the Adverse Event Income Equalisation Scheme to the local Commissioner of Inland Revenue. This voluntary scheme enables farmers to carry forward income to minimise taxation.

Regionally Significant Events

Occasionally there are climatic or natural disasters which impact on rural communities on a region-wide basis. Communities and regional organisations are expected to organise a response. Central government may provide limited assistance including labour assistance, living expenses for families and financial support to regional organisation efforts.

Nationally Significant Events

When rare climatic or natural disasters occur on a scale that will seriously impact on the national economy, central government may support local community and regional organisation efforts. This support may be during the emergency and following it. Assistance may involve defence forces and humane livestock disposal.

The responsibility of rural communities

Community members should work together to manage emergencies with localised or regional impacts.

A community may be a small group of farmers living in an isolated valley, or all of the people occupying a district or a region. Depending on the risks and potential consequences, lead agencies could be local authorities or special interest groups such as Rural Women NZ, Federated Farmers NZ, NZ Fruitgrowers Federation, and landcare groups.

The community should establish links with their preferred agency, identify leaders to represent their interest in an emergency, and must be prepared to manage local events itself before, during and following an emergency. This involves:

  • having local response plans;
  • training people who can put the plan into action;
  • knowing how to apply for government support; and
  • being aware of the conditions that have to be satisfied to qualify for that support.

What help is available immediately?

Following larger-scale agricultural disasters, some immediate assistance measures are available by applying to local branches of government agencies. These measures include:

Aerial reconnaissance An aerial inspection of the affected area can be funded by MAF after consultation with industry representatives and other key public services. This is for the purpose of helping to decide if central government assistance is required.

Defence Forces Requests can be made through MAF for use of defence forces. Past examples include livestock rescues from floods and snow, supplementary feeding of livestock, deployment of people for snow raking and supply of water in droughts.

Humane livestock disposal When required, assistance for the humane disposal of livestock can be sought initially through MAF. This may be extended to full responsibility for biosecure carcass disposal during an exotic disease response. Examples include the disposal of emaciated or dead animals as a result of an adverse event where there is clearly an animal welfare concern. Normally, disposal pits would be provided by local authorities.

Co-ordination of the recovery effort This would normally be provided by district councils or industry organisations and may be facilitated on request through MAF. This scheme provides financial assistance to organisations that co-ordinate the provision of feed and water supplies for stock, networking of rural families affected by the adverse event, and co-ordination of other forms of relief effort such as labour assistance and technical advice.

Labour assistance This is available if a number of properties have been damaged by a natural or climatic event by approaching the local office of Work and Income NZ. Landowners should first discuss their problems with their industry representative or local MAF office. Approval may be given at a local level for labour to assist cleanup after a flood. If the cleanup is associated with commercially oriented activities, such snow raking, emergency stock feeding, recovery of damaged fruit, then approval from central government is required.

Rural Trust services A free, financial negotiation and counselling service from Rural Support Trusts is available to families and individuals who need to talk the issues through with an independent person who is experienced in farm or orchard management. This free service is available in eastern areas of NZ and on the West Coast and is funded by public subscription. Central government pays half of the costs when the services are required following an adverse event.

What other help is available?

Other forms of assistance are also available to ease the impact of larger-scale disasters on peoples' lives. The measures require approval by central government. Immediate decisions on these forms of assistance after the event are not required. Applications are made through MAF and would normally take one to six weeks. These measures include:

Living expenses for families An approach by families in severe financial hardship can be made to the local Rural Support Trust Co-ordinator or the local office of the Work and Income NZ. The assistance is termed Rural Sector Assistance which is a form of special needs grants. This scheme usually takes six weeks to put in place and would continue for up to 12 months depending on the assistance needed by individual families to cover their minimum living needs. Eligibility is assessed monthly. There are strict criteria associated with this.

Technical assistance This form of assistance may be provided when farmers need advice on their options for dealing with the adverse situation. The need for the assistance is usually decided between industry representatives and MAF. This scheme provides technical and financial advice to help farmers and orchardists decide on their best options for recovery.

In some large-scale recovery or stock welfare operations, central government may appoint a short-term Recovery Co-ordinator. The main role is to co-ordinate the initial stages of large-scale recovery operations by central government. The role of the Co-ordinator is to give short term support to local initiatives, not to replace them. Local leadership has a continuing role after the work of the government-appointed co-ordinator has ended.

Although the Co-ordinator will usually be located in the operations centre, the command responsibilities will stay with the local organisation. Local communities are expected to organise local responses such as the distribution of feed to farms and snow raking.

How government assistance is triggered

Currently, there is no threshold for triggering any of the above measures that are accessed through MAF though the event would usually need to be of regional or national significance.

Local communities must use the following processes to request central government assistance for large scale (non Civil Defence) emergencies:

  • local authorities and/or industry representatives such as Federated Farmers NZ, Fruitgrowers Federation to contact MAF;
  • confirm that a local response has been attempted;
  • advise on the severity of the event;
  • specify the type of assistance required;
  • confirm that the response needed is beyond the capability of the local community and organisations.

If appropriate, the Minister of Agriculture will be requested to approve funds for one or more of the following measures:

  • aerial reconnaissance with local leaders - 100 percent costs met by MAF;
  • co-ordination of the recovery effort - 50 percent costs met;
  • counselling services by Rural Support Trusts - 50 percent costs met;
  • humane livestock disposal - 100 percent costs met, pits excluded;
  • technical assistance - 100 percent costs for specified programmes.

The funds would be managed by the applicant group which would be either: a District Council or Trust or MAF as appropriate. In special cases, grants to match donations up to an agreed amount may be made towards a community trust fund for disbursement to people in need.

If appropriate, an application will be made by MAF in association with the Ministry of Social Development to Cabinet for approval of Rural Sector Assistance.

Restoration assistance in rare events

  • Government will consider grants towards the restoration of essential community services such as water supplies and flood protection works where there is a clear inability, on the part of the local benefiting community, to pay for the work required. Special circumstances apply and these are spelt out in the Recovery Plan for natural disaster and emergencies within NZ. Copies of the Recovery Plan may be obtained from  District or Regional Council offices.
  • There is no assistance for the restoration of private property.

If in doubt, contact MAF Policy

To find out more about qualifying for assistance, how to plan for agricultural emergencies, and how to request government support, contact your local MAF Policy, regional team leader.

Remember: If human life is in danger a Civil Defence Emergency will be declared and central government will provide assistance accordingly.

Contact MAF Policy offices:

Office Telephone Mobile
Whangarei 09 430 7305 025 221 1982
Hamilton 07 856 2832 025 979 509
Rotorua 07 348 0089 025 942 366
Hastings 06 870 6304 025 221 1981
Pmstn North 06 351 7925 025 998 629
Wellington 04 474 4168 025 232 2717
Nelson 03 543 9182 025 500 131
Christchurch 03 358 1860 025 336 124
Dunedin 03 477 8454 025 444 323

Contact for Enquiries

Rural Affairs Coordinator
Sector Performance Policy
MAF Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND

Phone: +64 4 894 0675
Fax: +64 4 4 894 0745
Contact this person

 
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