This page provides information on preparing for and responding to snow weather bombs, including factsheets and links to websites and organisations that can provide you with support.
Key contacts after an adverse event
Support services
- Beef + Lamb New Zealand: 0800 233 352
- Federated Farmers: 0800 327 646
- Ministry of Primary Industries: 0800 008 333
- DairyNZ: 0800 432 479
- Fonterra: 0800 656 568
- Rural Support: 0800 787 254
- Rural Woman NZ: 0800 256 467
Banks
- ASB: 0800 272 007
- BNZ: 0800 275 269
- ANZ: 0800 807 711
- Rabobank: 0800 722 622
- Westpac: 0800 177 155
Insurance companies
- FMG: 0800 366 466
- Tower: 0800 379 372
- Vero: 0800 800 134
- State: 0800 802 424
Local Councils
- Environment Southland: 0800 768 845
- Otago Regional Council: 0800 474 082
Factsheets
- Snow Guidelines (PDF, 177KB) – this factsheet has management ideas, feeding tips through to how much your stock will need.
- Reviving newborn lambs (PDF, 178KB) – Dextrose can help revive your lambs. Need to know more?
- Feed planning in winter (PDF, 76KB) – while we know its spring, this feed planning factsheet has some ideas you may want to look into.
- A guide to feed planning (3MB) – after the snow you might need to look at your feed planning.
- Health and Safety of volunteers working on farms as part of response and recovery (1.7MB) – if you have volunteers coming onto your property for snow raking or clean up. Please consider health and safety.
Do your stock need access to grazing?
If you need emergency feed, generators, large capacity water pumps, help moving stock or cleaning up, please call the Rural Support Trust on 0800 787 254.
Coping with stress – information and support
- Rural Support – your Southland team can be contacted on 0800 787 254 or email them at southland.rst@gmail.com
- Rural Support – your Otago team can be contacted on 0800 787 254, contact them through this form or visit the Otago Rural Support Trust webpage
- Coping with stress on the farm factsheet (PDF, 314KB)
- Farmstrong website – getting help
- Dairy NZ’s managing stressed people webpage
Dairy farming
- DairyNZ’s heavy snow webpage – covers immediate actions, next priorities, feed planning and stock health.
- Dairy NZ’s dealing with snow in early lactation webpage
- Dairy NZ’s managing stressed people webpage