The Top of the South Rural Support Trust (RST) say they want to connect and have good links into the Sounds where farmers and growers live remotely.
When the August rain event hit Nelson, it also hit the area’s to the North of Nelson and the Marlborough Sounds areas of the South Island. Rai Valley, Kokorua Rd, Canvastown, the outer Marlborough Sounds and D’Urville Island were all hit hard.
Many houses were uninhabitable in the short term and many roads severely damaged. Residents living in some of the more remote areas lost direct connection to others close by and could be unaware of Civil Defence, and Council support.
At the time a prolonged period of cloudy weather impacted on solar powered cell towers plus, after loss of electricity for several days’, landline batteries die.
RST are aware they need to identify key people within those rural communities and improve connection with them. They want to raise awareness that assistance can be available for them in times of emergency and adverse events and is part of what the RST teams do.
When a weather bomb, fire or earthquake strike there can be structural damage to homes, water supplies, sewerage systems, other essential property infrastructure. There are personal health and medical needs on top of everything else involved with living in rural locations.
The immediate needs can very quickly become overwhelming for those adversely affected if they are on their own. The Rural Support Trust team is keen to let people know about the role they provide to get help and support to farmers and growers when catastrophic events occur, especially if the local resident population is swelled by holiday makers.
At a regional level Westcoast, Golden Bay, Tasman, Nelson, and Marlborough RST’s are all directly linked into local Civil Defence, Council, Ministry Primary Industries (MPI), Rural Advisory Groups (RAG) or Adverse Events groups, Primary Industry businesses, Rural Women, and Federated Farmers networks.
RST personnel are made up of farming people who understand the needs of rural people. Watch out for them as they come to your communities and become part of the network .After an event the RST provides needs-based support to help families, farmers growers and communities recover and work across a broad range of agencies and groups to ensure we all become better prepared for the next event.
Contact Rural Support Trust today on 0800 787 254
