Dozens of companies who donated money to last year’s Southland storm victims could be in for a refund.
Federated Farmers' Adverse Trust Account received around $620,000 from New Zealand businesses eager to help rural families cope with the disaster.
Some of the trust’s money was spent on an initial effort to deli
ver food parcels to affected farms and houses, but the majority remains unused.
Feds’ President and trustee Don Nicolson says the problem in the aftermath was deciding who needed money the most.
He says there's no obligation to accept the money back, either.
"By saying to my fellow trustees in gesture of good will and good faith that we offer it back to them on a pro rata basis.
"They may say 'no keep it there for the long haul, or for next time' and that’s fine by me.
"But at least the gesture has been made.
"I see a lot of other businesses in New Zealand giving money to problems that exist is communities and I’m sure they never get it offered back."
Mr Nicolson says the hardest time for farmers will be in the autumn, when lamb losses will start to bite.
Federated Farmers estimates between 1200 and 1500 farmers were hit by the storms, which lasted for over 2 weeks in September.
