Task Force Green on cleanup roll

An enhanced Task Force Green team is now in the Manawatu District getting stuck in and helping residents clean-up properties after a storm in late July battered many parts of the region.

Gale-force winds uprooted hundreds of trees and caused significant damage as it tore through the district north of Ashhurst and up the Pohangina Valley, before swinging over towards Rangiwahia and Kimbolton.

Retired Palmerston North Boys’ High School maths teacher, Len Osborne, said the team’s work on his No 4 Line property had been “fabulous” and allowed him to take a welcome break from weeks of hard graft.

Manawatu District Council has engaged the five-member team for eight weeks to help residents such as Mr Osborne who faced an insurmountable job in clearing away large trees and debris that had come down around and on his property.

“I didn’t have enough skills to cope with all that and when you get to my age (76) you learn to be a bit careful and don’t be foolish. They are the professionals and they’ve done a fabulous job.”

A 30-year resident in the Pohangina Valley, Mr Osborne said the storm was the most frightening experience of his life, with wind gusts estimated at 160kph blasting the area for a 16-hour stretch.

“It sounded as if there was a jet aircraft parked in the driveway. The house was rocking and you could hear a thump every so often as another tree went down. I planted everything in my garden and watched it grow – and then watched it get smashed down in one horrific night.”

Emergency Management Officer, Ross Brannigan, said the relief and appreciation shown by Mr Osborne, and his wife, Mary, at the team’s presence, clearly indicated the worth of the project.
“Some property owners have been really knocked around, and with clean-up work so labour intensive, hands-on assistance helps ease the pressure and gets the area cleaned up quicker than it would otherwise.”

Mr Brannigan said the project also allowed the TFG crew, some of whom had been laid off from previous jobs, to “roll the sleeves back up” and return to the workforce.
“They are really enjoying the challenge because it’s a chance to help out other people as well as themselves. It’s a win-win situation.”

Any resident seeking Enhanced Taskforce Green help can contact Mr Brannigan on 0508 800 800 or 021 247-7338 or Tony Gray (Federated Farmers) on (06) 328-4575.