G/AG/N/NZL/145  
 
3 April 2024  
(24-2865) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English  
 
 
NOTIFICATION  
The following submission, dated  27 March  2024, is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of New Zealand . The notification concerns new or modified domestic support measures exempt 
from reduction ( Table DS:2 ). 
 
_______________  
 
 
This notification compiles the disaster relief programmes carried out by the New Zealand 
Government in response to the Cyclone Gabrielle weather event in Feburary of 2023.  
 
The New Zealand governments response to the Cyclone Gabrielle weather event fell under two new 
programmes, which have been notified in further detail in the measures below:  
1. Cyclone Gabrielle – Primary Sector Response  
a. Cyclone Gabrielle Farmer and Grower Recovery Grants  
b. Cyclone Gabrielle Mobilisation Fund  
2. North Island Weather Events Primary Sector Funding  
a. Providing recovery support  
b. Supporting under -serviced rural communities  
There was an additional amount of funding that was distributed via the Recovery Assistance 
Programme . 
Full details f or both of these programmes are set out in the below notification.  
In DS:1 notifications, all will be notified as a Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery  line item, under Annex 2 of 
the Agreement on Agriculture, as they meet the specific criteria of paragraph 8.  Paym ents (made 
either directly or by way of government financial participation in crop insurance schemes) for relief 
from natural disasters . 
 
  G/AG/N/NZL/145  
 
- 2 - 
 
  Table DS:2  
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: NEW ZEALAND  
Notification under Article 18:3 of the Agreement:  
New or modified domestic support measures exempt from reduction  
(1)  FULL TITLE OF MEASURE:  
Cyclone Gabrielle – Primary Sector Response  
(2)  DOMESTIC LEGISLATION REFERENCE:  
Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002  
(3)  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF MEASURE WITH REFERENCE TO CRITERIA:  
This programme was made up of two sub -programmes, these were:  
Cyclone Gabrielle Mobilisation Fund  
The Government provided NZD 4 million to help rural communities  with immediate recovery 
needs after Cyclone Gabrielle. This was targeted funding to help with urgent primary sector 
needs not being met by other organisations. This fund is now closed and has been fully 
committed to 26 projects covering aerial surveys, me ntal wellbeing, recovery advice, logistics 
and transport, and reimbursement of costs of urgent response activity.  
Cyclone Gabrielle Farmer and Grower Recovery Grants  
The farmer and grower recovery grants were available for urgent repair work, including fen cing 
and clearing silt to save trees and vines. The grants opened to applications between 22 February 
until 20 March 2023, with those in hard -to-reach areas able to apply up until 3 April 2023.  
Recovery grants included:  
− up to NZD 10,000 for pastoral and a rable farmers to help with initial recovery, such as repairs 
to water infrastructure for livestock and fencing, and  
− up to NZD 2,000 per hectare (up to a maximum of NZD 40,000) to remove silt from trees and 
vines, support clean -up and minimise future losses.  
MPI processed a collective total of just over NZD 64 million to support farmers and growers 
with urgent repair work. 5,387 applications were approved and paid out to  4,746  farmers, 
growers, and whenua Māori owners to a total of NZD 64,615,714  (including GST).  
This programme is a publicly -funded government programme; it provides no price support to 
producers and provides no direct payments to producers or processors.  
This programme meets the fundamental criteria of Annex 2 of the Agreement on Agriculture, 
as they meet the specific criteria of paragraph 8. Payments (made either directly or by way of 
government financial participation in crop insurance schemes) for relief  from natural disasters.  
(4)  COST OF MEASURE:  
In the 2022/23 Financial year, NZD 68.6 million was spent on the Cyclone Gabrielle  – Primary 
Sector Response programme (including funding for the Recovery Grants and Mobilisation Fund).  
(5)  DATE OF ENTRY INTO  EFFECT:  
February 2023  G/AG/N/NZL/145  
 
- 3 - 
 
  (6)  PERIOD OF APPLICATION:  
February 2023 – November 2023  
(7)  PRODUCTS TO PRINCIPALLY BENEFIT (IF ANY INDIVIDUAL PRODUCT(S)):  
No specific products  G/AG/N/NZL/145  
 
- 4 - 
 
  Table DS:2  
DOMESTIC SUPPORT: NEW ZEALAND  
Notification  under Article 18:3 of the Agreement:  
New or modified domestic support measures exempt from reduction  
________________________________________________________________ ______________  
 
(1)  FULL TITLE OF MEASURE:  
North Island Weather Events – Cyclone Gabrie lle Response and Recovery  
(2)  DOMESTIC LEGISLATION REFERENCE:  
Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002  
(3)  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF MEASURE WITH REFERENCE TO CRITERIA:  
The Government provided NZD 35.4 million to support the recovery of rural businesses  and 
isolated rural communities affected by North Island weather events, including Cyclone 
Gabrielle. The funding is available to all parts of the food and fibre sector, including horticulture, 
agriculture, fisheries and forestry.  
The funding is split int o two parts:  
− Isolated Rural Communities Recovery Fund : NZD 5.4 million to support the wellbeing 
of rural communities isolated by recent North Island weather events, including Cyclone 
Gabrielle.  
− Time -Critical Primary Industries Recovery Fund : NZD 30 million to support the 
recovery of primary sector businesses and rural communities to boost health and safety and 
protect animal welfare following Cyclone Gabrielle.  
This programme is a publicly -funded government programme; it provides no price support to 
producers and provides no direct payments to producers or processors.  
This programme meets the fundamental criteria of Annex 2 of the Agreement on Agriculture, 
as they meet the specific criteria of paragraph 8. Payments (made either directly or by way of 
government financial participation in crop insurance schemes) for relief from natural disasters.  
(4)  COST OF MEASURE:  
In the 2022/23 Financial year, NZD 35.4 million was spent on the North Island Weather Events 
Response and Recovery package – Primary Sector Recovery programme.  
(5)  DATE OF ENTRY INTO EFFECT:  
May 2023  
(6)  PERIOD OF APPLICATION:  
May 2023 – March 2024  
(7)  PRODUCTS TO PRINCIPALLY BENEFIT (IF ANY INDIVIDUAL PRODUCT(S)):  
No specific products  
__________