Co-ordinator offers support

Press, 9 December 1988, Page 30

Co-ordinator offers support

Rural families in North Canterbury are well served by a network of support agencies, says the recently appointed local co-ordinator of the New Zealand Rural Trust, Mr David Watson. Mr Watson sees his main aim in his new job as working with the existing agencies, such as the Rural Support Group, to help in giving them publicity and some extra resources.

Many rural families were taking advantage of help offered in the drought relief package, Mr Watson said. However, families who were not on the initial mailing list could still contact the M.A.F. or the New Zealand Rural Trust. Mr Watson is positive about the support offered in the package. However, he stresses the best methods of offering the necessary long-term help are still far from decided. Families need to consider what they believe would be appropriate, and tell the Rural Trust or the M.A.F.

The immediate measures in the package would help to ease the problem of lack of income facing farmers, Mr Watson said.

Immediate assistance is available to families who are having difficulty meeting daily living expenses, such as groceries or power accounts.

“Families may have arranged overdraft facilities to pay such accounts, but could be missing out on fertiliser or other farming needs. The Adverse Events package is designed to avoid that happening.” A full farm appraisal is also offered, enabling families to make an informed decision about their future. Mr Watson, who has a farm at Rolleston, was a Nuffield Scholar in 1971, when he studied farm management in the United Kingdom.