Our People

We have seven Trustees currently on our Board and a Coordinator.

We have a wide range of experience and knowledge in dealing with challenging rural situations through our Facilitators who are a mix of current and ex-farmers, and other occupations and skills connected to the farming industry. They are strategically located throughout the Taranaki Region, and our Coordinator knows the skills, experience and capability of each and will suggest the Facilitator best suited to assist in resolving your specific problem. Trustees ensure that Facilitators receive up-to-date training ensuring a confidential, quality service is provided.

Our Trust is well-connected with rural networks, rural professionals and other agencies who are well-placed to support you through. 

Freephone: 0800 787 254

Rural Support Trust Office
15 Young Street
New Plymouth
coordinator@trst.org.nz

Please phone the 0800 number or complete our contact form.

 Marcia Paurini 

 Coordinator

  022 679 0120

  coordinator@trst.org.nz

  Joined the Trust in Aprl 2015 and uses her experience from time in BNZ (7 years) & Inland Revenue (25 years)

Board of Trustees

Mike Green

Chair

Mike is experienced in the agriculture industry through roles at PGG Wrightsons, RD1.

Mike is currently a Fonterra Area Manager for Ward 19. 

   

 

Graeme Hight

Trustee

Graeme previously held roles as Federated Farmers Executive holding the Dairy portfolio.

He has been a Trustee since the Trust's inception in 2007 and has retired from his farm at Toko. 

 
 

​Joe Clough 

Trustee

Joe works for PGG Wrightsons and has a prominent role in dairy research and development on the regions' farms, particularly the Waimate West Demonstration Farm.

He is Chair of Civil Defence Rural Advisory Group and MPI liaison during Adverse Events. 

               

Mark Hooper

Trustee

Mark is a dairy farmer from Lepperton and holds the position of Taranaki Provincial President for Federated Farmers. He is a member of the National Council and the National Dairy Executive. He is on the national LIC Sharemilker Council 

Mark Utting

Trustee

Mark is a Thomson O'Neill lawyer working in their Eltham Office after leaving is own practice in Auckland 2008. He holds a NZ Diploma in NZ Trusts and Estates with expertise in multi-generational estate planning. Mark is also an Associate Member of STEP and Secretary of the Estate and Taxation Planning Council. 

  

Amanda Jordan

Trustee

Amanda is a 5th generation Jersey farmer with her husband Greg on their 200 ha farm, leasing another 100ha on the Egmont National park boundary. Amanda is Chair of the Taranaki Council of TB Free and was on Federated Farmers executive committee in 2018/19. She is passionate about farming, Bio Security compliance and caring for the environment. The couple have planted 49km of stream banks in the Mangamahoe catchment. She can see New Plymouth and cowshed lights dotted beneath her farm leading to the question "why would I want to be anywhere else?". 

 

 Daniel Butler

Trustee

Daniel has experience as a young man on parents dairy farm, a Manager of Corrections in Porirua and most recently a Senior Agri Manager for LIC

                                   

 

 

 

 

 

News & Alerts

WELLBEING APPS

Keep yourself psychologically safe with the apps introduced on Day 20 of Covid-19 Lockdown

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Author: Marcia
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Categories: Taranaki

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Feed planning service

NZ-wide: for drought-affected farmers, and those affected by floods eariier.

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Author: Terri Anderson

Feed planning service flyer

MPI and partner agencies DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb NZ, AgFirst and Federated Farmers are providing remote feed planning support to farmers.

How it works

This service is based on level of need and operates on three levels:

1. In the first instance, we’ll work out how much feed you need. A call to an industry or levy body will get you a free stock take assessment of your feed planning needs.

2. In the second instance, where it’s required, we can offer more advice and practical support. An advisor will help you understand what needs to be done and how you can go about it.

3. Finally, we can also refer you to someone who can offer more in-depth support. We can refer you to a farm systems consultant, who can provide help over the phone or visit if it is a serious animal welfare issue. Please note this level 3 support is not free.

Please call one of these toll-free numbers:

Dry stock sector – Beef + Lamb 0800 BEEFLAMB (0800 233 352)
Dairy sector – DairyNZ 0800 4 DAIRYNZ (0800 4 324 7969)
AgFirst 0508 AGFIRST (0508 243 477)

 

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Categories: National, Northland, Waikato-Hauraki-Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Taranaki, Manawatu-Rangitikei, Ruapehu-Whanganui, Top of the South, West Coast, North Canterbury, Mid Canterbury, South Canterbury, Otago, Southland

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Rural Support Trusts - how we can help in the M. bovis programme

We are more than just an ear to listen

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Author: Terri Anderson

Your regional Rural Support Trust (RST) is on-hand to support farmers being affected by M. bovis.

Our services are free and confidential.

As well as someone to talk to about your concerns, we can help you navigate through the process. We have training in and experience with the M. bovis programme, and know how it works.

Whatever your experience looks like, we can help in many ways including:

  • Trained facilitators who know how the programme works, and the process involved to help you navigate though.
  • Listening to your concerns and issues.
  • Confidentiality.
  • Phone calls, texts, emails – at a time that suits you.
  • Visiting and attending meetings with you.
  • One on one support and wrap around support – for you, your family, and your farming team.
  • Connecting – if we don’t know the answer we will help connect you to people who do.
  • Peer support – connecting with other farmers that have been through the process.
  • Helping you and your family access counselling services.

Depending on the individual farming operation it can be a lengthy process, involving a number of M. bovis Programme teams and RSTs offer support throughout the process and the ability to help shift things along if they get stuck.

We are rural people, helping rural people – we are farming people who understand the challenges of rural life.

Just call 0800 787 254 (0800 RURAL HELP). There are Rural Support Trust branches all over the country. Ringing 0800 787 254 will connect you to help in your area.

Supporting Our Rural Community

0800 RURAL HELP

www.rural-support.org.nz

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Categories: National, Northland, Waikato-Hauraki-Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Taranaki, Manawatu-Rangitikei, Ruapehu-Whanganui, Top of the South, West Coast, North Canterbury, Mid Canterbury, South Canterbury, Otago, Southland

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Dr Paul Wood

What type of Prison are you in?

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Dr Paul Wood
Author: Marcia

Dr Paul spoke to 60 students and 182 people at a public session on Monday 11 February.

From Murderer at 18 to Doctor of Psychology his journey has been a triumph for all of what he shares.

Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with comments to Rural Support Trust to bring him back so more can hear his insightful messages.

Listen to this amazing interview with Kim Hill (at the link below). Ted Talk links and Radio ZB also linked below 

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Categories: Taranaki

Tags: Challenge

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