Canterbury earthquake Federated Farmers Sunday update

Today, 800 Federated Farmers members and volunteers removed over 1,000 tonnes of debris caused by Tuesday's earthquake. What's more, a daily average of some 200,000 litres of water has been delivered by Bleeker Contracting and Raymond Hart into the city. Federated Farmers own 0800 FARMING line was kept busy taking over 300 enquiries as well.

Christchurch clean up continues Monday

Federated Farmers is making an open request for as many loaders and diggers to a gross weight of three-tonne (a one tonne increase over yesterday) to join the clean up effort from Monday.

An estimated 1,000 tonnes of earthquake debris was today removed from the Christchurch suburb of New Brighton, heavily impacted by last Tuesday's earthquake. In the last several days Federated Farmers has been working in St Martins and St Albans, with 240 volunteers being in St Albans yesterday.

Federated Farmers also wishes to advise that registrations are essential and commence at the A+P Showgrounds from 7.00am tomorrow through to 2pm. Given the need to brief and deploy volunteers, 2pm will now be the daily cut-off. It is no longer needed for volunteers to call Federated Farmers or to email us. Instead go to the showgrounds and register in person.

Key information for Monday 28 February 2011

Registrations: From 7.00am until 2.00pm

Location: A+P Showgrounds, Curletts Road, Christchurch

Equipment needed: Light loader tractors (three tonne maximum gross weight)

Light diggers (three tonne maximum gross weight)

Wheel barrows and shovels

Larger passenger vehicles including 4WD

Trailers

Suitable clothing and personal protection equipment (eg gumboots essential with sunscreen, gloves, face masks etc))

Full change of clothing and toiletries

Packed lunches and bottled water

Accommodation: Camping facilities are available on site while local rugby clubs are also offering their facilities for volunteers. Make certain you bring personal effects, sleeping bag and a bed roll.

Federated Farmers wishes to publicly acknowledge Silver Fern Farms and Tegel Foods for donating food, NZ Safety for the donation of safety vests and Rabobank for its assistance. CRT is further supplying five 4x6 Tents to assist with accommodation.

This is a huge team effort and wouldn't be possible without our very good friends from New Zealand Young Farmers, the Canterbury Rugby Football Union, Rural Woman NZ, Rural Contractors, the local residents and businesses of Christchurch and of course you, our farmers.

200,000 litres of water a day being transported into Christchurch

At a daily average of some 200,000 litres of water, over 600,000 litres has now been delivered by Bleeker Contracting and Raymond Hart since Thursday evening. This includes delivering water to the hospitals and restocking the underground tanks of the fire service.

The current priority is to restock the Diamond Harbour reservoir which has been emptied. Over 100,000 litres of water was being transported by Bleeker Contracting and Raymond Hart into Diamond Harbour this evening with more will follow tomorrow.

On Thursday morning, Silver Fern Farms kindly made its reservoir in Islington available to the effort. Once the tankers had rolled into Christchurch the very first order came in from the hospital for an immediate 200,000 litres. Since then other medical facilities have been restocked along with the Fire Service's underground tanks.

Federated Farmers is aware of enthusiastic farmers driving water tankers into Christchurch off their own back. Anyone looking to bring water tankers into the city should first consult with Christchurch City Council and/or Civil Defence Logistics:

§ Christchurch City Council
Carol Clark 027 505 3847 (carol.clark-ccc@live.com)

§ Civil Defence Logistics
Fiona Nichol 027 605 0087 (cdem.logistics@gmail.com)

With shelter and accommodation

Last Friday, Campbell Live profiled the facilities that lie less than 30 minutes from Christchurch offering power, clean running water and cooking facilities. Federated Farmers has been unstinting in offering rural residents support to the authorities and a more detailed member advisory on this will be carried tomorrow. .

Fundraising for victims of the 2011 earthquake

Meat and Fibre farmers should expect details on how they can make a tangible contribution to victims of the earthquake tomorrow, as details are finalised with the Meat Industry Association.

Postal services update

Limited postal services will now resume on Tuesday 1 March. The extent of where NZ Post can deliver to or pick up mail from, is dependent on what areas are cleared by the authorities and deemed safe for its staff to access. There is also an issue with staff availability as well.

New Zealand Post is holding all mail and will update customers on its website on the areas it will be able to deliver mail to from Tuesday. For those addresses where it cannot deliver mail to, New Zealand Post will hold the mail at an alternative location for pickup (where a redirection is not in place). Details of pickup sites will be available on its website from Tuesday 1 March.

Important message to consumers

New Zealand Post is providing free mail redirection services for residential customers in the earthquake affected areas. To find out what this is defined as please click here. For a detailed list of NZ Post/Kiwibank branches operational, please click here.

Educational facilities

Primary and secondary

All schools across Christchurch city will remain closed until further notice. 18 state schools have major damage along with 11 state-integrated and five independent schools. 100 more received minor damage. To confirm if schools are open or closed, please click here.

Tertiary

Lincoln University: Is undamaged and fully functioning but has delayed opening for Semester One until Monday, 14 March, when lectures will commence

University of Canterbury (including the College of Education): Is closed until further notice but please refer to daily updates posted on its website.

Christchurch Polytechnic: Is closed until further notice with an update expected tomorrow.

Fuel update

Lyttelton Port's core services are operational with the tanker Turoa berthing today to commence the unloading its fuel cargo. There are also three further tankers scheduled for Lyttelton over the next three days.

Rural supply merchants

All rural supply merchants along with Ravensdown and Ballance Agri-Nutrients are trading as normal.

Electricity

Orion hopes to have restored power to 84 percent of its customers by this evening but warns that progress will now slow as it encounters severe damage.

Approximately 30,000 customers remain to be connected from tomorrow, most either in the eastern suburbs or the CBD. Orion has announced an ambitious target today of 95 percent of customers to be reconnected within the next seven days. This excludes customers who cannot be connected due to property damage and also the parts of the CBD which are still off limits.

Unforeseen disruptions, further aftershocks or altered priorities may prevent it from achieving this target, nevertheless it aims to do its best to reach it.

As well as restoring the main high voltage cables and lines, fixing the multitude of

cable faults on the network remains a huge task if it is to achieve its 95 percent target,

and it has many teams on this job.

Aside from Civil Defence priorities eg telecommunications, water and waste water

facilities, Orion's priorities are:

§ Redcliffs, Sumner and Mt Pleasant: continuing with property by property damage assessments

§ Good progress on 66kV overhead line to Brighton substation.

Important messages for consumers

§ Small pockets across the city remain unconnected as a result of significant faults. It is working as hard as possible to restore power to these customers

§ The fragile nature of its network means there will inevitably be small unexpected power outages from time to time in areas already reconnected

§ Please DO NOT call its help line unless it is an emergency. Please be patient as it deals with urgent priorities

§ Use of generators. Consumers planning to use these MUST consult an electrician on how to use these safely. Plugging one into your house can re-connect neighbouring properties without them or you knowing it

§ Please conserve electricity. The power network is fragile. Turn off unnecessary

appliances such as heated towel rails, and keep lights etc to a minimum

§ If you are leaving your home, or do not have the power back on yet, turn the power off at the main switch, unplug all appliances at the wall and make sure the stove is turned off. This reduces the risk of fire when the power is restored. The Fire Service today reported they have attended three small house fires after power was restored.

Please see the attached map for a graphical representation:

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Telecommunications

Overall the Telecom network remains up and stable, all Telecom exchanges are operational with a combination of mains and generated power, as are the majority of mobile sites.

It continues to recommend people in Christchurch minimise the use of mobile phones and to use text messages instead of calls whenever possible to free up the network for emergency response workers. However, as the network is operational people should use their phones for important calls.

Its two Christchurch Gen-i data centres are operational, running on Business Continuity plans and its managed networks are running well. The police cordon remains around the CBD for public safety, restricting access to Telecom's 109 Hereford Street site. If required, its generators are well fuelled to sustain service for a long period of time and it is working with clients to maintain services remotely.

More than 33,000 calls have been made from 260 free Telecom payphones across Christchurch. Free WiFi spots are also available at Telecom Riccarton Mall, Café Zero (Cashmere Rd), and the Westpac Centre (Addington).

Telecom customers in Christchurch can have their landline number diverted to another number for free. To do this, residential customers can call them on 120 and business customers can call them on 125. A relief package from Telecom Wholesale is enabling other telecommunications retailers to support their affected home and business customers as well.

Important messages for consumers

§ Change your voicemail message to let callers know the time, date and your location and, if possible, alternate contact details to provide some reassurance should mobile phone batteries go flat given the difficulties with power supply.

§ Where possible, use corded landline phones that plug directly into the wall as these do not require power.

§ Customers with friends or family with a prepaid Telecom mobile can call 0800 32 32 32 and top up their prepaid credit on their behalf.

Road closures
Lyttelton Tunnel reopened over the weekend and Environment Canterbury is updating its list of closed roads in Christchurch twice daily on the Christchurch Earthquake website.

Can farmers assist urban residents with storage?

It is no secret that this earthquake has compounded the severe damage from September. It is now sadly clear that many houses will be uninhabitable for some time and this is seeing many residents now enquire about storage for household effects. If you are in a position to assist, then please call 0800 327 646 (0800 FARMING) from 9am on Monday or email by clicking here.

Government earthquake helpline

The Government's helpline is 0800 779 997. The Earthquake Commission can be contacted on 0800 DAMAGE (0800 326 243).

Red Cross helpline including missing persons

If you are concerned about the wellbeing of friends and relatives in Christchurch, you should call 0800 REDCROSS (0800 733 276).

Federated Farmers Christchurch office is closed until further notice
Federated Farmers Christchurch office is closed due to damage until further notice.

For general information, please contact:
0800 FARMING (0800 327 646)

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