The government has announced a support package for flood-hit farmers in Otago.
Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy, right, with Dunedin city councillor and farmer Mike Lord on his Tairei Plain property. Photo: RNZ / Ian Telfer
Heavy rain caused severe flooding throughout the region just over 10 days ago.
The Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy, today declared those floods a medium scale adverse event for Dunedin City, Clutha District, Waitaki District and the Central Otago District.
He said that recognised the damage caused, and triggered government support.
"It will mean that rural assistance payments are available for farmers and there will be some taxation flexibility as well," he said.
Gavan Herlihy, chair of Otago Rural Support Trust Photo: RNZ / Ian Telfer
The government will also give the Otago Rural Support Trust funding to help farmers.
Matt Luke has welcomed the announcement.
Half of his dairy farm near Dunedin Airport was flooded, and at least a third of it is still underwater.
"We are on a flood plain, we do get floods, but this is one out of the bag, there's a lot of people affected, in fact most farmers on the Tairei [Plains] are affected this year," he said.
"Usually the water will disappear within three or four days, but that's not been the case this year. We've got a huge volume of water to get rid of, but it's just taking such a long time."
Mr Luke said it hit just as calving was getting underway.
"It's amazing how much this is going to affect us, especially the timing of it, coming into calving. Animal health is a major issue with the state of the ground... So when there's so much water around it's harder to feed stock, to look after them as we need to when we're calving."
Newborn calves sheltering in a barn on Mike Lord's farm. Photo: RNZ / Ian Telfer
Mr Guy has activated Enhanced Taskforce Green, to clean up flood debris in the rural and urban areas.
The taskforce is only activated after an emergency event and contains job seekers, students, and workers displaced by an emergency.
"They won't be able to handle a chainsaw, they may not know what a wire strainer is, but they will be able to get out and clean flood debris off fences. We will also utilise those people in the cities to work with 200-odd properties that need to be cleared out of carpets, furniture, etc."