The Wanaka A&P Show has donated $30,000 towards ongoing support for Cyclone Gabrielle-affected farmers and rural communities.

The significant donation was raised through ticket sales from the 2023 Wānaka A&P Show, held in March. One dollar from every adult ticket sold and livestock entry contributed to the fund.

The Wanaka A&P Show’s governing body – the Upper Clutha A&P Society – donated the funds to the Rural Support Trust, an on-the-ground service supporting cyclone-impacted rural communities in New Zealand.  

Upper Clutha A&P Society board chair Brenda King says the decision to donate was unanimous across the board and management team. 

“We were in full agreement it was important to give and support, in a way that would directly reach those on the ground,” King explains. “The Northland and Hawke’s Bay rural communities are resilient, and after what they’ve been through, it’s about supporting however we can.”

Wanaka A&P Show event manager Jane Stalker says if the roles were reversed, these regions would do the same thing.

“That’s what makes the rural community particularly special. When times are tough, it's about getting stuck in and helping one another,” she says. 

The contributed funds will be split respectively between two Rural Support Trusts, the East Coast ($20,000) and Northland ($10,000).

East Coast Rural Support Trust chairperson Clint Worthington says 100 per cent of donations will go directly to affected communities.

“These sorts of donations will go direct to farmers to help them with recovery. We have a long road ahead and it will take many years to get through it together,” he adds. 

Some on-the-ground needs include – consultancy, workshops and ongoing mental health support – as well as tangible resources such as seeds and fencing.

It is understood Cyclone Gabrielle’s economic costs surpasses that of Cyclone Bola in 1988, with cost estimates reported to be in the billions. Cyclone Bola’s horticulture and farming losses amounted to $90 million (equivalent to $210 million in 2023) with the Government’s cyclone repair bill more than $111 million ($260 million).

Repair costs from Cyclone Gabrielle are expected to exceed $13 billion.

“We are extremely grateful to the Wānaka A&P Show for the generous donation – it is truly humbling to receive the support,” Worthington adds.