The government has classified the flooding in the Bay of Plenty caused by ex-Cyclone Debbie as a ‘medium-scale adverse event'.

Social Development Minister Anne Tolley says the classification makes extra recovery assistance measures available, including recovery coordination, increased support through Enhanced Task Force Green teams and Bay of Plenty Rural Support Trust, as well as tax flexibility.

'The supervised Enhanced Task Force Green teams will be critical to help farmers and individual households with the clean-up.

'Extra financial assistance is available in the form of civil defence payments and over 500 applications have been received so far. Most requests are for personal items like clothing, bedding and food.”

While in extreme events, Rural Assistance Payments can be made available to help with rural families' essential living costs, adds Anne.

The Social Development Minister along with Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy are in the Bay of Plenty meeting with primary industry businesses today.

Guy says while the region is still in response mode, it is clear all primary sectors in the area have been impacted to some extent, with major damage to farm land and infrastructure due to flooding, debris and slips.

'Farmers and growers in the Bay of Plenty are used to managing through large rainfall events and have experienced flooding before, but this is extreme and its effects are still becoming apparent.

'The Whakatane District has significant flooding on the Rangitaiki Plains. There are slips and localised flooding in southern areas of the district, and slips and large areas of silt damage in Taneatua, Galatea, Murapara and Minginui.”

Road closures and cordons across the district also add to challenges for farmers as they have evacuated around 3500 stock, while it's also 'crunch time” for growers as kiwifruit orchards in the region are at the point of harvest, adds Guy.

He says the Fonterra's Edgecumbe plant is inside the cordon and currently closed, with milk being diverted to Te Rapa. Some farmers are also drying off their stock early, or moving stock to unaffected properties to continue milking.

'The Bay of Plenty Rural Support Trust has been working alongside Federated Farmers and Urban Search and Rescue to prioritise people to be visited, and contacting those in the rural communities to identify immediate need.

'MPI is also working with the SPCA, Fire Service, and vets from Massey to locate and house abandoned pets, and to identify and manage pets that have died. So far more than 230 pets have been successfully reunited with their owners which is thanks to the fantastic work of these local rescue teams.”

The Bay of Plenty DHB issued a Boil Water Notice for the Taneatua, Ruatoki and Rangitaiki Plains areas on Saturday.

It is essential dairy farmers also use boiled water for plant and silo cleaning, activate their risk management procedures and talk to their dairy company about their processes under boil water notices.

WHO TO CONTACT FOR HELP:

The Government Helpline (0800 779 997) is operating from 8.00am to 6.00pm.

Local Rural Support Trusts are providing support where it's needed on 0800 RURAL HELP.

People worried about lost pets should contact the Whakatane Emergency Operations Centre on 0800 306 0500.