July 8, 2025 • 7 mins
Federated Farmers is calling on Kiwis to “get in behind” flood-affected farming families at the top of the South Island, as recovery efforts ramp up and the scale of the damage becomes clearer. President Wayne Langford visited the area on Monday, July 7. He says the destruction in parts of Nelson and Tasman is extensive, with some farms completely unrecognisable.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's head to the top of the South Island where
the weather's not too flash to catch up with President
of Federated Farmers Wayne Langford and Wayne You and David
Seymour were both at the Grand Final or the FMG.
The Grand Final of the FMG Young Farmer of the
Hugh Jackson an impressive young man.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good a Wayne, Yeah, how are you in? A heck
of an effort by you to pull that one off
and what must have been near on a record margin
as well. So yeah, now, really proud of you and
obviously a huge sect for the sector.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Now you're calling on Keywist to get in behind flood
affected farming families at the top of the South Island
as a recovery if it's ramp up, and you're saying
the destruction in some parts of Nelson and Tasman is extensive,
with some farms totally unrecognizable. And one thing we're good
at doing in this country and especially the media, as
(00:52):
we fuss over the flood or the storm or whatever
when it happens, and then a week or two later
it's off the top of the news cycle and we've
forget about it. We can't afford to forget about you folk.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, that's that's about Jamie.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
I was.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
I was in a bit of the same boat. We
had the flood come through ten days ago, and you know,
the humble farmers as they were, kind of just just
sucked it up and got on and did what they
were doing. However, I was coming back up from grocers
and so I stopped them to see a few of them,
and wow, you know where that flood went and what
it did. You know, it was extraordinary in a number
(01:29):
of cases. So really calling on those around the country
or anyone that can contribute to probably reach into their
pocket or to get what they can to help these
guys out. It is only a small number of farmers.
It's not like Cyclone Gabriel that you know, touched on
half the country. It is only a small number of
farmers down down just a couple of valleys there. But
(01:49):
the river, you know, went into areas where it hasn't
been in a hundred years and it's done some done
some people to damage there.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Oh, I got a bloke sitting in the studio who
might be able to contribute. David Seymour, acting PM.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Well, first of all, I just want to give a
bit of a plug to the Nelson Tasman Emergency Group.
Their meeror relief fund has been set up and they've
got an account number. You can easily google it. That's
actually tax deductible the fund des iRED approved if you
want to get your tax back. So it's actually on
that spirit of people pulling together and helping after the
(02:26):
news coverage moves on. That is a way to do it.
And of course the government will always have its emergency
management groups in the region active up to the point
that we're able to help. And then of course you
also got to remember we run now. I want to
say EQC, I still keep saying it, but it's now NHC.
(02:50):
And obviously insurance is always not something you want to
start describing or defining on the radio. But depending on
your exact circumstances, they may be able to help.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
It's not the government's job, obviously to pay for every
climate disaster that happens, and we're probably what we are
going to get more and more of them. Is it
about mitigation? Should we just accept the fact that the
climate is changing, It's going to get warmer, we're going
to get more weather extremes, and we need to build
more flood banks, or build houses or farm farms on
(03:23):
higher ground.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Well, there's a lot going on. I mean, I just
pushed back a little bit against this idea that it's
all climate change because it can actually blind us to
the reality. And you look at these terrible events happening
in Texas right now, and no doubt the usual suspects
will be out blaming that on climate change. What they
forget to say is that they had two hundred and
(03:44):
fifteen lives lost a near identical incident in nineteen twenty one,
and that's when there were far fewer people living in
Texas in the first place. Same thing with our events
in Hawk's Bay a couple of years ago. A near
identical event occurred in nineteen thirty eight.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
So the fact not not to mention cyclone Bowler and
eighty eight.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Yeah, it's absolutely right. So you know, yes, climate is
a real problem. Yes, weather is a real problem. Yes
we need to invest more. I believe in adaptation, and
that means, for example, in Hawke's Bay, if the levies
were stronger, we might not have lost a few apple
orchards that we did lose. When the land on the
other side of the river directly across was okay. So
(04:29):
if you look at what the government's doing, first of all,
easier to get a consent to build adaptation in key
areas like why roll, we're actually put in cash in
and then when it comes to the longer term question
of how do we get infrastructure built, you'll see those
partnerships between central and local government rolling out, so we
don't have central and local blaming each other but instead
(04:50):
planning together.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Just quickly whine because we've got to keep moving on.
You've got a couple of questions for the acting Prime.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Minister, Well I do, and I'll just quickly edge that
one as well, because we're the calling every member that
we've got in the area there, and every member is saying,
get the gravel out of the rivers. What's going on?
The rivers are just chocol block full of gravel. We've
got to clean it out and what's holding that up?
So I'll I'll just bug that point in there because
(05:16):
it's huge for our members and has been a massive concern.
If we want to talk about climate adaptation, that's one
of the biggest ones, all the first ones that should
be on the list. But in terms of questions for
the deputy PM one is a bit tongue in cheek,
but you know you've got to the second in charge
now when you're going to step up to the big
honors and take on the roll as Feeds president.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Because of course we're looking for one at the moment
because the Fed's president is the acting chief executive of FEDS.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Well, I tell you what, there's some great people and
act We've talked about mart Cameron on the show. Andrew
Hoggud's already been Feed's president and Cameron Luxton's also had
a few years behind the teachers it were. So there's
if you want an act in Peter to do it,
we've got three current or former dairy farmers. I'm not
(06:06):
sure you'd put the boy from epsomm.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
And then and then secondly Jamie obviously. Yeah, we were
at the Young Farmer of the air on the weekend.
You know, the big question when when they're going back
on primetime TV. That's where it needs to get to.
You know, it's been on some of these other reality
shows like Dancing with the Stars and that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Surely, well it's funny because you know when I did
Dancing with the Stars, four hundred thousand people watched that
opening night today and that was the.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Beginning of the renaissance for the act party.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
You're twerking, Well, I think the twerking was where we
put it all at risk.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
But Rachel shaking.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Yeah, yeah. But the thing is, you know, you look
at TV and Z strategy and their goal is to
have more people watching it streaming online than watching it
on linear TV. So I understand people say that there's
a prestige are on being on TV, but even TV
(07:06):
is moving away from that medium. So look, I could
promise that, but honestly, I reckon in three or four
years time, you won't want it.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Into slid stream it. Yolo, Wayne Langthor, thanks for your time.
Got to go, mate, There we go. President of Federated
Farmers doing a great job. He's the acting chief executive too,
Let's head to the top of the South Island where
the weather's not too flash to catch up with President
of Federated Farmers Wayne Langford and Wayne You and David
Seymour were both at the Grand Final or the FMG.
The Grand Final of the FMG Young Farmer of the
Hugh Jackson an impressive young man.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good a Wayne, Yeah, how are you in? A heck
of an effort by you to pull that one off
and what must have been near on a record margin
as well. So yeah, now, really proud of you and
obviously a huge sect for the sector.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Now you're calling on Keywist to get in behind flood
affected farming families at the top of the South Island
as a recovery if it's ramp up, and you're saying
the destruction in some parts of Nelson and Tasman is extensive,
with some farms totally unrecognizable. And one thing we're good
at doing in this country and especially the media, as
(00:52):
we fuss over the flood or the storm or whatever
when it happens, and then a week or two later
it's off the top of the news cycle and we've
forget about it. We can't afford to forget about you folk.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, that's that's about Jamie.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
I was.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
I was in a bit of the same boat. We
had the flood come through ten days ago, and you know,
the humble farmers as they were, kind of just just
sucked it up and got on and did what they
were doing. However, I was coming back up from grocers
and so I stopped them to see a few of them,
and wow, you know where that flood went and what
it did. You know, it was extraordinary in a number
(01:29):
of cases. So really calling on those around the country
or anyone that can contribute to probably reach into their
pocket or to get what they can to help these
guys out. It is only a small number of farmers.
It's not like Cyclone Gabriel that you know, touched on
half the country. It is only a small number of
farmers down down just a couple of valleys there. But
(01:49):
the river, you know, went into areas where it hasn't
been in a hundred years and it's done some done
some people to damage there.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Oh, I got a bloke sitting in the studio who
might be able to contribute. David Seymour, acting PM.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Well, first of all, I just want to give a
bit of a plug to the Nelson Tasman Emergency Group.
Their meeror relief fund has been set up and they've
got an account number. You can easily google it. That's
actually tax deductible the fund des iRED approved if you
want to get your tax back. So it's actually on
that spirit of people pulling together and helping after the
(02:26):
news coverage moves on. That is a way to do it.
And of course the government will always have its emergency
management groups in the region active up to the point
that we're able to help. And then of course you
also got to remember we run now. I want to
say EQC, I still keep saying it, but it's now NHC.
(02:50):
And obviously insurance is always not something you want to
start describing or defining on the radio. But depending on
your exact circumstances, they may be able to help.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
It's not the government's job, obviously to pay for every
climate disaster that happens, and we're probably what we are
going to get more and more of them. Is it
about mitigation? Should we just accept the fact that the
climate is changing, It's going to get warmer, we're going
to get more weather extremes, and we need to build
more flood banks, or build houses or farm farms on
(03:23):
higher ground.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Well, there's a lot going on. I mean, I just
pushed back a little bit against this idea that it's
all climate change because it can actually blind us to
the reality. And you look at these terrible events happening
in Texas right now, and no doubt the usual suspects
will be out blaming that on climate change. What they
forget to say is that they had two hundred and
(03:44):
fifteen lives lost a near identical incident in nineteen twenty one,
and that's when there were far fewer people living in
Texas in the first place. Same thing with our events
in Hawk's Bay a couple of years ago. A near
identical event occurred in nineteen thirty eight.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
So the fact not not to mention cyclone Bowler and
eighty eight.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Yeah, it's absolutely right. So you know, yes, climate is
a real problem. Yes, weather is a real problem. Yes
we need to invest more. I believe in adaptation, and
that means, for example, in Hawke's Bay, if the levies
were stronger, we might not have lost a few apple
orchards that we did lose. When the land on the
other side of the river directly across was okay. So
(04:29):
if you look at what the government's doing, first of all,
easier to get a consent to build adaptation in key
areas like why roll, we're actually put in cash in
and then when it comes to the longer term question
of how do we get infrastructure built, you'll see those
partnerships between central and local government rolling out, so we
don't have central and local blaming each other but instead
(04:50):
planning together.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Just quickly whine because we've got to keep moving on.
You've got a couple of questions for the acting Prime.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Minister, Well I do, and I'll just quickly edge that
one as well, because we're the calling every member that
we've got in the area there, and every member is saying,
get the gravel out of the rivers. What's going on?
The rivers are just chocol block full of gravel. We've
got to clean it out and what's holding that up?
So I'll I'll just bug that point in there because
(05:16):
it's huge for our members and has been a massive concern.
If we want to talk about climate adaptation, that's one
of the biggest ones, all the first ones that should
be on the list. But in terms of questions for
the deputy PM one is a bit tongue in cheek,
but you know you've got to the second in charge
now when you're going to step up to the big
honors and take on the roll as Feeds president.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Because of course we're looking for one at the moment
because the Fed's president is the acting chief executive of FEDS.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Well, I tell you what, there's some great people and
act We've talked about mart Cameron on the show. Andrew
Hoggud's already been Feed's president and Cameron Luxton's also had
a few years behind the teachers it were. So there's
if you want an act in Peter to do it,
we've got three current or former dairy farmers. I'm not
(06:06):
sure you'd put the boy from epsomm.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
And then and then secondly Jamie obviously. Yeah, we were
at the Young Farmer of the air on the weekend.
You know, the big question when when they're going back
on primetime TV. That's where it needs to get to.
You know, it's been on some of these other reality
shows like Dancing with the Stars and that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
Surely, well it's funny because you know when I did
Dancing with the Stars, four hundred thousand people watched that
opening night today and that was the.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Beginning of the renaissance for the act party.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
You're twerking, Well, I think the twerking was where we
put it all at risk.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
But Rachel shaking.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Yeah, yeah. But the thing is, you know, you look
at TV and Z strategy and their goal is to
have more people watching it streaming online than watching it
on linear TV. So I understand people say that there's
a prestige are on being on TV, but even TV
(07:06):
is moving away from that medium. So look, I could
promise that, but honestly, I reckon in three or four
years time, you won't want it.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Into slid stream it. Yolo, Wayne Langthor, thanks for your time.
Got to go, mate, There we go. President of Federated
Farmers doing a great job. He's the acting chief executive too,
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