Ashburton Courier: September 16, 2021

RURAL
20 Ashburton Courier, September 16, 2021
www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz
Lean on agate, talk to amate campaign
TONI.WILLIAMS
@ashburtoncourier.co.nz
‘Lean on agate and talk to a
mate’ is the call from rural
health advocate Craig Wiggins.
Mr Wiggins, who farms at
Dromore, near Ashburton, has
put the message out as asimple
mental health campaign to help
farmers and others struggling.
‘‘I’ve been doing afair bit of
work around farmer support
and helping people through
some tough times, and
especially through covid,’’ he
said.
‘‘We are really, really trying
to bridge gaps and talk to
people, but it’s just not getting
through to some people, and I
know that one of the things we
can do is just keep checking on
each other and talking to those
people that you haven’t talked
to for quite awhile.’’
Mr Wiggins was still coming
to terms with the death of a
friend in the rural industry by
suicide in the past few weeks,
which had been tough.
He is apublic figure working
as an MC, columnist,
videographer, sports
commentator, horse trainer
and farmer. And in his spare
time he is arural health
advocate and farmer wellbeing
champion.
He encouraged others to keep
in touch with their peers and
had posted avideo message at
www.facebook.com/
whateverwithwiggy/videos for
people to share. It had more
than 45,000 views, and
counting.
Above: Craig Wiggins is urging rural folk to reach out to others for
ayarn, at right: catching up with Bruce Taylor, of Farmlands, for a
yarn over the farm gate.
At rural events farming folks
were often seen leaning on a
gate or afence as they yarned to
mates, Mr Wiggins said.
‘‘We’ve sort of lost that now
that everyone is isolated alittle
bit more and we spend alot of
time in our phones and stuff
like that.
‘‘So whether you lean on a
gate and dial amate, or
whether you lean on agate and
just talk to your next door
neighbour, or even your staff
members or even afamily
member ­just take five minutes
out of your day and ‘lean on a
gate and talk to amate’.
‘‘(The campaign has) really
resonated with alot of people,
and not just rural people but
urban people as well,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s going really, really well,
getting alot of traction and
getting alot of feedback that
people are doing it and some of
them are helping people they
didn’t even know needed it.’’
Mr Wiggins said isolation had
been areal issue for people.
And during covid lockdown
the farm for many, became
more of afortress, which
increased some anxiety.
‘‘You don’t know what is
behind alot of (what people are
going through). One thing this
has taught me is this doesn’t
just turn up on your doorstep
there’s alot of reasons that
anxiety and depression and
poor thoughts and wellbeing
come into your mind.
‘‘It’s ajourney and there is a
lot of people who know your
history and if we just keep
checking in on each other that
can really help.’’
Mr Wiggins said the racing
industry were planning an
evening October 6atAddington
involving all three codes ­
thoroughbred, harness and
greyhound ­tohelp people in
the racing industry, who were
also often under the pump.
‘‘Covid and alot of things
have knocked people around.
So if we can help in any way
shape or form, we will do our
best.’’
There is alot of help out
there, but staying connected
with people that you trust and
talk to them, he said.
‘‘Just occasionally sit down
with afriend,’’ he said.
Mr Wiggins still runs the
Whatever with Wiggy sessions
over Zoom one or twice amonth
keeping in touch with the rural
community nationwide
covering arange of topics.
Those discussions gave
farmers and others in the rural
industry achance to vent, or
just connect with others
He also helped set up the
Farmer First rural health
caravan ­with Rakaia GP Dr
Sue Fowlie ­which takes aGP
to farm events and normalises
regular health checks for
farmers.
Need to talk
Text or phone 1737, anytime day
or night
Healthline: 0800 611 116
Rural Support Trust: 0800 787
254
Ruralroads, bridgeswell overduefor repair
Increased funding for road
maintenance nationwide is
heartening news for rural
families dismayed by potholed
access and dilapidated bridges,
Federated Farmers vicepresident
and transport
spokesperson Karen Williams
says.
‘‘What we need now is for
district councils all over New
Zealand to dedicate a
significant portion of this
increased funding to dealing
with the backlog of repairs to
rural roads and bridges,’’ she
said.
Earlier this year, when the
nation’s district and city
councils were finalising Long­
Term Plan budgets, Waka
Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
warned it was $420 million
short for local road subsidies.
An extra $2billion was
allocated for local road
maintenance in the 2021­24
National Land Transport
Programme.
It brought the total amount
available for local road and
state highway maintenance to
$7billion over the next three
years.
‘‘Federated Farmers
compliments the government
for recognising that failing to do
the necessary maintenance on
local roads is false economy in
the long run,’’Mrs Williams
said.
In many districts rural road
users lamented slumping rural
roads, crumbling asphalt and
bridges with suspect decking
and pools of water.
There was plenty of interest
to see how the extra funding
was allocated, and what it
would mean for rural roads and
bridges in Canterbury seriously
damaged by winter flooding.
‘‘Urban folk can often choose
public transport, or take a
different route that might add
five or 10 minutes to ajourney,’’
Mrs Williams said.
‘‘But when apoorly
maintained road in amore
remote rural area becomes
dangerous, or is closed for
repairs, it can cause total
upheaval for family life,
farming business and getting
stock and produce out and vital
supplies in. That’s disruption
not just for those families and
farm staff, but also bad news for
apandemic­hit economy when
we need every export dollar our
primary sector earns.’’
The transport programme
also included $2.9 billion for
road safety initiatives as part of
the Road to Zero drive to
eliminate fatal and serious
crashes.
‘‘We can’t rely on reduced
speed limits as the answer to
everything,’’ she said.
‘‘Investing in better roads,
improved intersections and
new passing lanes and the like
pays off not just in dollars but in
human lives.’’
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