Repost, a company based in Marlborough, has been recycling fenceposts damaged during Cyclone Gabrielle and distributing them to farmers in Hawke’s Bay who lost their fences in the storm. So far, almost 12,500 broken orchard and vineyard fenceposts have been reused, but this is only a small portion of the hundreds of thousands of posts still to be sorted.
Repost has been removing nails, clips, and plastic from the broken posts, cutting them to size, and bundling them up for farmers. However, funding is becoming a problem. The company has been funded by the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s silt recovery and waste taskforce, which received $130 million from the government. However, the job is only half done and there is no guarantee of more funding.
Despite the uncertainty, Repost owner Greg Coppell insists the work must continue. He finds the work rewarding and is committed to doing his best. Farmers in Hawke’s Bay are grateful for the help. One farmer, Andrew Wilson, lost all 5km of his fencing during the cyclone and had to sell all his livestock. With the help of Repost and volunteers, he was able to rebuild his fences.
The recycled posts are not only a financial help to farmers, but they also have environmental benefits. Taskforce lead Darren de Klerk stated that repurposing the posts into sustainable fencing has diverted a significant amount of wood from landfill. It also reduces costs, as it costs about $4.50 for Repost’s work, compared to about $19 to dispose of one post at a landfill.
