September 2, 2026 • 7 mins
Simon Hopcroft looks at the "Bruch on Us" events that are underway around the south.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
I just spent six months in a leaky boat. Nothing
to a leaky boat.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
This is the muster on Hokanui, split ends and six
months in a leaky boat.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Jeez, it feels like that for a few people at
the moment.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Simon Hotcroft is the chair of Southland Rural Support Trust
and joins us.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Good afternoon, Simon.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
How are you, Andy?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yeah, I'm going pretty good in what has been a
damp start to September, shall we say, although today is
a little bit warmer.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Yeah. Yeah it is, no, appreciated yesterday a wee bit
of drying and a bit warmer today but hopefully we
can just see a forecast at some stage. It'll give
us a wee bit more encouragement around sunshine, a bit
of growth for everyone, just a bit of sun on
the backs of this livestock. But yeah, no, she's been
a wee bit of a sort of trying again month
(00:50):
in August so hopefully September can see a wee bit
of improvement in the long range anyway.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
With the Southland Rural Support Trust, how have things been anyway?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yeah, pretty good, Andy. We've just got to focus at
the moment. We're doing the Brunch on Us events around Southland. Obviously,
we're not getting into every little district, but we're trying
to cover as wide an area as possible, and that's
been well advertised. Actually, I think we kicked off yesterday
down at Wyndham, and they had about 50-odd call-in. They're
(01:22):
just sort of running them between 11 and 1.30, so
if you're... swinging by, you can just pop in for
five minutes or half an hour just to catch up.
But today we're actually at, sorry, yesterday I was at
Gorge Road, today's at Wyndham, 11 to 1.30, and then
(01:44):
Mabel Bush next week, Wednesday, and then Drummond on Thursday,
the 10th. Yep. And then we just keep shifting around
the province. We've got out at Clifton... Wednesday the 16th,
Mosburn the 17th, and then over to Willowbank on the 23rd,
up to Waikoa on the 24th, and then the last
(02:05):
one's in Dipton. But yeah, they've been really well received
in the past couple of years, so we thought we'd
just carry on with that, get that connection going. If
anyone gets a chance to pop down, do that. grab
your neighbours as well. And yeah, just the stakeholders that
have helped us out there to support those events have
(02:26):
been brilliant. They appreciate being involved and it's a good
opportunity for them too to sort of help out with
that side of connecting and yeah, much appreciated for them supporting.
So hopefully we'll get a feel on to those in
the next few weeks.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Absolutely, and it's all about just connecting and Catching up,
chewing the fat, and we've seen that before in September.
Regardless of what the weather's doing, it's just a busy month.
You just don't want to get overawed.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
No, you don't, and I think that's probably after sort
of Sunday, Monday, everyone was getting a bit despondent, you know,
and we just needed that wee bit of warmth yesterday
to cheer everyone up, and even the livestock were just
happy to see a bit of warmth on their backs. So, yeah,
I guess it's just also just, you know, if people
(03:20):
are wanting to, you know, have a catch-up with one
of our crew, just don't be too afraid to use
that 0800 number to have a call through, and we
can connect some support there. Make sure you're also utilising
the people in your district. Always good to have people
(03:44):
connect with... supporting those that are finding, especially those younger
farmers that haven't been through it before. And yeah, just
help each other out. And I'm sure we'll navigate through
another interesting spring.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Regarding the Rural Support Trust, I mean, it's established all.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Around the country. What do you enjoy about being involved
with it?
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah, good question, Andy. I think the key thing is
making sure that we're clear what our role is, and
that's been an interesting one over the last four or
five years as we've had a lot more adverse events.
There's a real need there to be prepared to how
we manage our response or recovery plans in conjunction with
(04:31):
emergency management itself, and in our instance, or civil defence, And, yeah,
so there's been quite a big focus on our emergency
operations plan over the last 12 months, really since we
were halfway through reviewing it when the wind hit in
October last year. But that's sort of the catalyst to
(04:52):
sort of review it again and go, right, where do
we play here? What's our role? How do we– I mean,
the key thing is supporting the people in our rural communities–
whether it's business as usual day-to-day or after an adverse event.
And no one knows what the next adverse event looks like,
but if we have better preparation and better planning in place,
(05:17):
then that'll help the trust actually be clear on what
we're there for. And when you think about the stakeholders,
I mean, basically we just help coordinate those stakeholders together
that are all willing to get out and support their
rural communities after an adverse event, then it's sort of
(05:38):
empowering them to go and do the things that we
need them to do to help support. So, I mean,
I enjoy that side, I guess, to make sure, you know,
we're going into a situation where we're organised. You know,
last October, I must admit, it was a bit of
(05:58):
a new one for us around how much of South
and Manitogo out without power and that put a lot
of pressure on our farming and rural communities but it's
once again empowering them to look after each other and
then hopefully out of that everyone's actually been better prepared
(06:21):
going into like this spring's been a classic we've had
a few more power outages, people have had generators they've
gone and purchased over the last 12 months, which they've
been able to crank up and use, especially in the
dairy sector and some of those areas where even for
(06:42):
residential housing on farms. So just being a bit more prepared,
people are, which then takes pressure off Rural Support Trust
to actually, you know, pick out the pieces at the
other end. So I don't know if I've answered your question, Andy,
but I guess there's a period... that you enjoy doing
this sort of thing and helping out, and then you'll
(07:04):
move on when someone else takes up position here.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Yeah, well said, Simon. Thanks for your time, as always.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Thanks, Sandy. Much appreciated.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Simon Hotcroft of the South and Rural Support Trust.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
That number, if you need to get in touch, 0800
787 254. Same old story, a problem shared is a
problem halved.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Isla Pringle's up next. You are listening to The Muster.
I just spent six months in a leaky boat. Nothing
to a leaky boat.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
This is the muster on Hokanui, split ends and six
months in a leaky boat.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Jeez, it feels like that for a few people at
the moment.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Simon Hotcroft is the chair of Southland Rural Support Trust
and joins us.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Good afternoon, Simon.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
How are you, Andy?
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yeah, I'm going pretty good in what has been a
damp start to September, shall we say, although today is
a little bit warmer.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Yeah. Yeah it is, no, appreciated yesterday a wee bit
of drying and a bit warmer today but hopefully we
can just see a forecast at some stage. It'll give
us a wee bit more encouragement around sunshine, a bit
of growth for everyone, just a bit of sun on
the backs of this livestock. But yeah, no, she's been
a wee bit of a sort of trying again month
(00:50):
in August so hopefully September can see a wee bit
of improvement in the long range anyway.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
With the Southland Rural Support Trust, how have things been anyway?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yeah, pretty good, Andy. We've just got to focus at
the moment. We're doing the Brunch on Us events around Southland. Obviously,
we're not getting into every little district, but we're trying
to cover as wide an area as possible, and that's
been well advertised. Actually, I think we kicked off yesterday
down at Wyndham, and they had about 50-odd call-in. They're
(01:22):
just sort of running them between 11 and 1.30, so
if you're... swinging by, you can just pop in for
five minutes or half an hour just to catch up.
But today we're actually at, sorry, yesterday I was at
Gorge Road, today's at Wyndham, 11 to 1.30, and then
(01:44):
Mabel Bush next week, Wednesday, and then Drummond on Thursday,
the 10th. Yep. And then we just keep shifting around
the province. We've got out at Clifton... Wednesday the 16th,
Mosburn the 17th, and then over to Willowbank on the 23rd,
up to Waikoa on the 24th, and then the last
(02:05):
one's in Dipton. But yeah, they've been really well received
in the past couple of years, so we thought we'd
just carry on with that, get that connection going. If
anyone gets a chance to pop down, do that. grab
your neighbours as well. And yeah, just the stakeholders that
have helped us out there to support those events have
(02:26):
been brilliant. They appreciate being involved and it's a good
opportunity for them too to sort of help out with
that side of connecting and yeah, much appreciated for them supporting.
So hopefully we'll get a feel on to those in
the next few weeks.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Absolutely, and it's all about just connecting and Catching up,
chewing the fat, and we've seen that before in September.
Regardless of what the weather's doing, it's just a busy month.
You just don't want to get overawed.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
No, you don't, and I think that's probably after sort
of Sunday, Monday, everyone was getting a bit despondent, you know,
and we just needed that wee bit of warmth yesterday
to cheer everyone up, and even the livestock were just
happy to see a bit of warmth on their backs. So, yeah,
I guess it's just also just, you know, if people
(03:20):
are wanting to, you know, have a catch-up with one
of our crew, just don't be too afraid to use
that 0800 number to have a call through, and we
can connect some support there. Make sure you're also utilising
the people in your district. Always good to have people
(03:44):
connect with... supporting those that are finding, especially those younger
farmers that haven't been through it before. And yeah, just
help each other out. And I'm sure we'll navigate through
another interesting spring.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Regarding the Rural Support Trust, I mean, it's established all.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Around the country. What do you enjoy about being involved
with it?
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah, good question, Andy. I think the key thing is
making sure that we're clear what our role is, and
that's been an interesting one over the last four or
five years as we've had a lot more adverse events.
There's a real need there to be prepared to how
we manage our response or recovery plans in conjunction with
(04:31):
emergency management itself, and in our instance, or civil defence, And, yeah,
so there's been quite a big focus on our emergency
operations plan over the last 12 months, really since we
were halfway through reviewing it when the wind hit in
October last year. But that's sort of the catalyst to
(04:52):
sort of review it again and go, right, where do
we play here? What's our role? How do we– I mean,
the key thing is supporting the people in our rural communities–
whether it's business as usual day-to-day or after an adverse event.
And no one knows what the next adverse event looks like,
but if we have better preparation and better planning in place,
(05:17):
then that'll help the trust actually be clear on what
we're there for. And when you think about the stakeholders,
I mean, basically we just help coordinate those stakeholders together
that are all willing to get out and support their
rural communities after an adverse event, then it's sort of
(05:38):
empowering them to go and do the things that we
need them to do to help support. So, I mean,
I enjoy that side, I guess, to make sure, you know,
we're going into a situation where we're organised. You know,
last October, I must admit, it was a bit of
(05:58):
a new one for us around how much of South
and Manitogo out without power and that put a lot
of pressure on our farming and rural communities but it's
once again empowering them to look after each other and
then hopefully out of that everyone's actually been better prepared
(06:21):
going into like this spring's been a classic we've had
a few more power outages, people have had generators they've
gone and purchased over the last 12 months, which they've
been able to crank up and use, especially in the
dairy sector and some of those areas where even for
(06:42):
residential housing on farms. So just being a bit more prepared,
people are, which then takes pressure off Rural Support Trust
to actually, you know, pick out the pieces at the
other end. So I don't know if I've answered your question, Andy,
but I guess there's a period... that you enjoy doing
this sort of thing and helping out, and then you'll
(07:04):
move on when someone else takes up position here.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Yeah, well said, Simon. Thanks for your time, as always.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Thanks, Sandy. Much appreciated.
Speaker 1 (07:14):
Simon Hotcroft of the South and Rural Support Trust.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
That number, if you need to get in touch, 0800
787 254. Same old story, a problem shared is a
problem halved.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Isla Pringle's up next. You are listening to The Muster.
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