Farmer’s sanity saved by helpers

For farmer Geoff Warmouth, having six young men turn up at his door to clean up his flood-ravaged Marlborough property saved his sanity.

Warmouth got a helping hand from the Enhanced Task Force Green (ETFG) to clean up after August’s damaging deluge in the region.

‘‘They helped me out a hell of a lot. I’m 65 and struggle, so having six young guys up here to help me is just great,’’ the Fabian’s Valley Rd farmer said.

‘‘These guys saved my sanity.’’ Richard Kempthorne, Rural Support Trust chairman for NelsonTasman and Marlborough, is an advocate for ETFG. ‘‘At the end of it, most of [the workers] are able to move into permanent employment, particularly with contractors,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s a real plus.’’

The Ministry of Social Development arranged for a crew to work in Nelson and another in Marlborough for nine weeks. To date, they have worked on over 25 farms and community assets.

Kempthorne said clearing the debris was a ‘‘pretty horrible’’ job, but a necessary one, as fences that were clogged with debris from rivers were often on a slope and weren’t serving their purpose as boundaries for stock. Until they were fixed, farmers couldn’t use the paddocks. ‘‘To get those fences sorted out as quickly as possible is really important.’’

In the aftermath of the floods, it was easy for the rural community to be forgotten, the former Tasman District mayor said.

‘‘Some farmers have had slips, some farmers have had slips over fences, over their roads. Once the flood clears, there’s silt on their pasture, there are fences that need repairing.

‘‘It’s quite soul-destroying.’’ Kokorua Rd, between Nelson and Blenheim, for instance, had seen ‘‘significant floods’’ three times in the past year, he said.

Kempthorne said the ETFG was well managed, and the teams did ‘‘terrific’’ work.

‘‘We truly appreciate everything they do, and we’re so pleased these folk so often go on to long-term jobs as a result.’’

Teams work under the supervision of training provider Assess It. Director John Wilson said the work was mostly by hand and so could be physically tough, but the teams had enjoyed working outdoors.

MSD regional commissioner Craig Churchill said he was proud of the work the MSD team had done in such a short time frame. ‘‘The team at MSD worked very hard to get ETFG off the ground quickly for this latest event. It truly is a winwin for both farmers and job seekers, who gain skills, experience, and often ongoing employment.’’