Flood damage about $22M

Press, 30 July 1985, Page 2

Flood damage about $22M

PA Wellington Flood damage in fanning areas round Gisborne are estimated at $22 million, says the Prime Minister, Mr Lange. About 200 farms had lost up to 20 per cent of their pasture, Mr Lange told a post-Cabinet press conference yesterday. Thousands of kilometres of fencing, plus sheep races and woolsheds had been destroyed. Mr Lange said the $22 million took into account reading losses. A substantial area of land was under water, long-term damage had been done to what was a burgeoning horticulture industry, and it was “an awful further blow to farmer morale, ravaged by drought of recent times and now by this inundation.” The Government was making 190 P.E.P. workers available through the Labour Department to provide manpower to start immediately to remove debris and make houses habitable. At least 17 houses would be uninhabitable for a long time, Mr Lange said. The Social Welfare Department was providing short-term assistance and access to counselling services for people whose homes had been ravaged. Mr Lange said the loss of fencelines would be overcome by the Government’s providing helicopter flyingtime to carry in netting and temporary fencing materials. “At the moment stock is wandering without hindrance from one property to the other,”he said Bridging money would also be made available, and the National Roads Board could provide the money for that kind of emergency. The Cook County had estimated its roading repairs would cost $1.2 million. The Rural Bank would help and measures would be extended to avoid farmers suffering tax losses in the event of forced livestock sales. It was expected farmers would feel the livestock losses in two to three seasons, Mr Lange said. Rough estimates suggested that the Government would spend $5 million in the next few weeks.