Growers add to 'relief' efforts
What a relief: Marlborough vineyard owner Adrian Landon-Lane, left, and Mainfreight Blenheim Operations manager Ray Bradcock, right, with one of the portaloos his company will help to transport to the quake zone.
Marlborough grapegrowers and wineries and Mainfreight are sending portaloos to Christchurch, where chemical toilets are in short supply.
Waihopai Valley grapegrower Adrian Landon-Lane thought sending portaloos from Marlborough vineyards was one way of providing practical help to earthquake victims.
Mr Landon-Lane contacted Christchurch Central MP Brendon Burns, who has agreed to work with Civil Defence to help distribute them.
Mr Landon-Lane said many of the portable toilets being sent to Christchurch from overseas were small porta-potties designed for camping, not suitable for putting at the end of a street for a neighbourhood to share.
At the weekend he rang around wine companies including Yealands Estate, Allan Scott Family Winemakers and Lawson's Dry Hills who were all happy to help. He was hoping to hear from other companies with toilets they could spare.
Records were being kept of all portaloos loaned, including a photograph of each toilet, to ensure they were eventually returned, Mr Landon-Lane said.
Minister of Labour Kate Wilkinson has temporarily relaxed requirements regarding the number of toilets needed for vineyard workers, if portaloos had been sent to Christchurch. And police have said they would waive the requirement for towable portaloos to be registered for the road if they were transported by Mainfreight.
Anyone with portaloos they would like to send south should deliver them to Mainfreight in Sutherland Tce, Blenheim today, where they would be emptied and cleaned before being trucked south tomorrow morning.