Farmers need to start pumps now

Farmers in most earthquake-affected areas should start turning pumps back on now to check whether they are working, Rural Recovery Group co-ordinator Allan Baird says.

“Up till now we’ve been asking farmers to hold off to allow the aquifers to settle. Now apart from farmers along the fault line itself who might want to wait another week or two, it would be a good idea if everyone else looked at their pumps.

“Our advice (together with Irrigation New Zealand, www.irrigationnz.co.nz) is that you have an electrician and pumping engineer/specialist on hand before starting the pump. Start it against a “closed head” or as slowly as possible and listen for any unusual noises/vibrations. Then you need to check for leaks, any obvious loss of performance in terms of pressure and flow, and check the safety equipment like pressure/flow switches.

“Where you’re not sure, call in a professional!” he says.

The main issues now for farmers and rural lifestylers seem to focus on insurance/Earthquake Commission queries and building inspections, Mr Baird says.

“Things don’t seem too bad out there at this stage. We’re still getting wonderful offers of support and donations. A farmer in Lake Rotoma in the Bay of Plenty, Peter Davies, has donated $1900 from the sale of one of his bulls last week to the rural cause. That’s a magnificent gesture from one farmer to our rural communities.

“Now we just need people to ask for help!” Mr Baird says.

Business support

Services and support available to help Canterbury businesses recover from the earthquake is available at www.recovercanterbury.co.nz.

The Selwyn District Council is hosting a series of Open for Business – After the Earthquake workshops in the next few days. The workshops are open to any business owner or designated staff member keen to get trading-fit. The main topics are survival and growth strategies after the earthquake, including protecting/growing your customer base, and managing cashflow and turnover.

The workshops are:

Tonight: Darfield Library, MacMillan St, 7 – 9pm
Wednesday, 22 September: Lincoln Bowling Club, North Belt, 7 – 9pm
Thursday 23 September, Council office, 2 Norman Kirk Drive, Rolleston 7-9pm

Work and Income will be present to explain the process for the earthquake subsidy for staff wages. There is no charge for these workshops, but if you would like to attend, please register at btadvisor@selwyn.govt.nz, or call 03 347 2712 if you have any inquiries.

Farmers or lifestylers who need assistance or advice are able to call the Rural Recovery Group through the Selwyn District Council – 03 347 2800, or visit the RRG page on the Selwyn District Council website.

ENDS

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