The long-term mental wellbeing of farmers will be the Rural Support Trust’s focus in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, says Hawke’s Bay co-ordinator Jonathan Bell.
“We believe that it’s going to be pretty big in the coming weeks and months, and ongoing as well. Our resources are going to be stretched,” Bell said.
The trust, which is helping co-ordinate the cyclone response, is initially ensuring people are safe and getting food and water supplies to them.
As roads become more accessible, Bell said, the trust will connect with farmers and offer more detailed support.
“The issues to start with were no access and no communications, but that is starting to come back now. If they can get a hold of someone, they are, which is good.
“Once you get that connectivity and communities getting together, that’s what they do well. They band together and they help each other.”
However, Bell said there is not short-term fix for the mental strain on farmers and their families.
“That’s the role of Rural Support Trust. To assist farmers in that space and look at wraparound support for them.
Bell said the trust will be finding people to act as councillors and ensure they are trained appropriately to do that job.
He said the cyclone’s devastation “is going to put a lot of pressure on a lot of people”.
“Initially it’s that physical thing to keep people safe. The next step is to keep animals safe and then keep people safe again, not in a physical sense but in a mental and wellbeing sense.”
Bell said it could take three to four years for some farmers to recover from the cyclone damage.
“We talk about three days, three weeks, three months and three years.
“At the moment we are between that three days and three weeks and then the next step will be bloody hard.”
There has been a “phenomenal” response from throughout New Zealand with offers of stock feed, fencing equipment and other supplies.
The response is greatly appreciated but Bell urged people to log their offers, including financial support, through the Federated Farmers website so it can be collated and made best use of.
Volunteers have also turned up in rural towns, armed with wheelbarrows and shovels, offering help.
“In adversity communities come together and that is what we are seeing.”
While feed for Hawke’s Bay farmers is not an issue at the moment, it will be in a few months’ time when pasture growth starts to stop, he said.
Communication links with farmers are improving by the day and helicopters, both from the air force and private operators, have been used to check on people in more isolated areas.
If people have concerns about those living in isolated areas they can log details with the trust’s 0800 number and arrangements will be made to check on them.
The trust is mapping parts of the Hawke’s Bay to show which roads are open, who has communications and what support is needed and where.
It is too early to put a figure on stock losses but he knows of one farmer who lost several hundred ewes.
Some stock had avoided floodwater only to be caught in silt.
“The biggest concern for stock welfare at the moment is water. We don’t have power and can’t put water to troughs. They’re trying to get stock to natural water sources like dams which aren’t filled with silt or blown out.”
Suffering from depression or stress, or know someone who is? Where to get help:
RURAL SUPPORT TRUST: 0800 RURAL HELP
DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757
LIFELINE: 0800 543 354
NEED TO TALK? Call or text 1737
SAMARITANS: 0800 726 666
YOUTHLINE: 0800 376 633 or text 234
