Cyclone Gabrielle recovery: advice, support, and funding

Business Support Package

A package of financial support was announced by the Government on 29 June for businesses, orchards, and farms affected by the North Island weather events in early 2023 in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Tairāwhiti, Hawke's Bay, Tararua, and Wairarapa.

Loan guarantee scheme

The loan guarantee scheme enables commercial lenders to provide loans to highly affected businesses across all sectors with more favourable terms, such as reduced interest rates. Loans supported by the loan guarantee scheme are available until 30 June 2024, for a maximum of 5 years from the date of issue.

The scheme is administered by the New Zealand Export Credit Office, and implemented by commercial lenders, such as banks. More information is on The Treasury website.

North Island Weather Events Loan Guarantee Scheme – Te Tai Ōhanga | The Treasury

North Island weather events primary producer finance scheme

The North Island Weather Events Primary Producer Finance Scheme provides concessionary loans and equity finance to severely impacted, land-based primary sector businesses.

Applications and expressions of interest for this scheme closed on 8 September 2023.

It was designed for businesses that have a reasonable chance of returning to viability with additional support to help these businesses re-engage with commercial lenders. The scheme is administered by Kānoa, Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit.

North Island Weather Events Primary Producer Finance Scheme – Kānoa | Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit

Find out more about the business support packages

2023 North Island weather events Business support package – Fact sheet [PDF, 1.2 MB]

Support package for growers, farmers and businesses affected by North Island weather events – Beehive

Funding to support wellbeing, health and safety, and animal welfare

A further $35.4 million will be invested through Budget 2023 (announced in May) to support the recovery of rural communities affected by North Island weather events in 2023, including Cyclone Gabrielle.

This includes:

$30 million to help rural businesses and communities to boost health and safety and protect animal welfare
$5.4 million to support the wellbeing of rural communities isolated by recent North Island weather events.

The funding is available to all parts of the primary industries, including horticulture, agriculture, fisheries, and forestry.

The fund is closed for expressions of interest. We continue to assess projects and expect details of successful expressions of interest to be released soon.

More details about the fund and how the money will be distributed are in our fact sheet.

2023 North Island weather event: Primary sector funding – Fact sheet [PDF, 2.3 MB]

Find out about the projects that have got recovery funding

Find out more

Flood and cyclone recovery package covers the basics – Beehive

Cyclone recovery package builds protection for the future – Beehive

Woody debris clean-up funding

Budget 2023 is also investing $10.15 million to help clean-up woody debris in the Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti regions.

Funding to clean up slash and debris in Tairāwhiti and Hawke's Bay – Beehive

Funding for silt and debris removal in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti

The Government is providing further funding to support the management and removal of silt and debris across Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti. There is:

$102 million to help councils process and dispose of debris coming from residential properties, and to deal with sediment on council land to make it available to the public again.
$70 million for commercial properties (including farmers and growers) to help clean up their land and return to profit.
$30 million for debris and sediment removal from whenua Māori.

For commercial properties, funding is being provided through local councils in the form of grants. Criteria has been set, including:

The first $40,000 will be fully funded by the Crown, including any funding already provided through earlier support programmes.
Funding above that will be cost-shared on a 50:50 basis and capped at $210,000.
Work that businesses have already undertaken through their own funding will be able to be counted as part of their 50% contribution.

Applications for the Sediment and Silt Recovery Fund in Hawke’s Bay closed on 31 August 2023.

Silt collection and waste – Hawkes Bay Regional Council

Support to help with the clean-up of cyclone-related sediment and debris in Tairāwhiti will be available in several funding rounds between 17 July and 20 October 2023.

Tairāwhiti sediment and debris application – Gisborne District Council

For whenua Māori owners, Te Puni Kōkiri’s Whenua Māori Service will provide support to make applications.

Whenua Māori sediment and debris management package – Te Puni Kōkiri | Ministry of Māori Development

Cyclone Gabrielle farmer and grower grants

Farmers, growers, and whenua Māori owners in areas significantly affected by Cyclone Gabrielle were able to access support for urgent recovery efforts.

The Government made $74 million available to undertake urgent repair work, including fencing, and clearing silt to save trees and vines.

Applications for the recovery grants closed at 5pm on 3 April 2023.

Grants included:

up to $10,000 for pastoral and arable farmers to help with initial recovery, such as repairs to water infrastructure for livestock, and fencing
up to $2,000 per hectare (up to a maximum of $40,000) to remove silt from trees and vines, support clean-up, and minimise future losses.

Media release 5 April 2023: Government approves $23 million boost to the cyclone grant for farmers and growers

Media release 6 March 2023: Government approves $26 million grant extension for farmers and growers

Media release 21 February 2023: Government details $25 million to Cyclone Gabrielle primary sector recovery

Funding for urgent rural recovery needs

The Government also provided $4 million to help rural communities with immediate recovery needs. This was targeted funding to help with urgent primary sector needs that were not being met by other organisations. This fund is now closed.

The fund has been fully committed to a range of projects covering aerial surveys, mental wellbeing, recovery advice, logistics and transport, fencing support, and reimbursement of costs of urgent response activity.

Media release 15 February 2023: Initial recovery mobilisation fund to help farmers and growers hit by Cyclone Gabrielle

Groups able to offer farmer and grower support

Farmers, growers, and whenua Māori owners needing support are encouraged to contact sector groups or their local Rural Support Trust.

You can freephone the Rural Support Trust on 0800 RURAL HELP (0800 78 72 54).

DairyNZ

Beef and Lamb New Zealand

Federated Farmers of New Zealand

Horticulture New Zealand — Ahumāra Kai Aotearoa

New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated

New Zealand Wine

Apiculture New Zealand

On-farm decisions after Cyclone Gabrielle – Foundation for Arable Research

Rural Support Trust: Help and support for rural NZ

Feed Coordination Service for farmers affected by the cyclone

MPI and Federated Farmers have restarted the national Feed Coordination Service to support farmers recovering from the cyclone.

The service helps match people with grazing or supplementary feed for sale to those who need it. To offer or request feed or grazing, freephone 0800 FARMING (0800 32 76 46).

You can also register online using these links:

Support with livestock feed fact sheet [PDF, 637 KB]

Media release 18 February 2023: National Feed Coordination Service launched for farmers hit by Cyclone Gabrielle

Help with delivery of critical farm supplies to isolated areas

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is working with farm supply companies and vets in Hawke's Bay and Tairāwhiti to ensure critical supplies can get to communities that have no road access.

Farmers with no road access to their farms can order necessary supplies from their usual farm goods suppliers and vets. Arrangements will then be made to deliver them.

Critical supplies are:

water reticulation materials
temporary boundary fencing materials
animal health supplies and veterinary medicines.

Note: This support is only available for farms with no road access for deliveries.

Delivery of critical farm supplies to isolated communities – Hawke’s Bay – Fact sheet [PDF, 484 KB]

Delivery of critical farm supplies to isolated communities – Tairāwhiti – Fact sheet [PDF, 489 KB]

Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti farm supplies companies and veterinarians/veterinary goods suppliers

If your customers want to place an order for delivery to an isolated area where there is no road access, contact MPI to register and to receive information on how to process these orders.

Freephone 0800 00 83 33. Say you want to register for the delivery of critical supplies to isolated communities.

Movement of livestock to meatworks and saleyards

MPI has been supporting Hawke's Bay farmers with limited road access to coordinate the movement of livestock.

By the end of April, Operation Muster had facilitated the transport of more than 45,000 livestock off Hawke’s Bay farms left cut-off following Cyclone Gabrielle.

Droving stock following Cyclone Gabrielle [PDF, 863 KB]

Cyclone recovery support for fishing, aquaculture and forestry

Government grants for seafood and forestry businesses of up to $40,000 were made available in 7 regions affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and the January floods in the North Island. Applications for grants have closed.

Cyclone Gabrielle recovery for forestry sector – fact sheet [PDF, 712 KB]

Animal welfare in areas affected by the cyclone

MPI, the SPCA, Helping You Help Animals (HUHA), and other animal support agencies have worked together to help meet animal welfare needs in areas affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.

There is still animal welfare support available in both Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti as the shift to recovery gathers momentum.

For advice on animal welfare or to report concerns, contact MPI’s animal welfare team on 0800 00 83 33.

If you need advice or support around health and wellbeing, accommodation, food supplies (including pet food), household goods, or rural support:

in the Hawke's Bay call the civil defence emergency management (CDEM) helpline on 0800 11 76 72.
in Tairawhiti call the CDEM helpline on 0800 65 38 00.

Information to ensure the welfare of your animals

Comprehensive list of resources on caring for animals after flooding – NZ Veterinary Association

Livestock health after prolonged wet conditions and flooding – Fact sheet [PDF, 1.8 MB]

Animal feed advice after Cyclone Gabrielle – Fact sheet [PDF, 5.5 MB]