Federated Farmers says the Government's Severe Weather Emergency Legislation Bill is very welcome.

The Bill will remove red tape in cyclone Gabrielle recovery, including letting rural landowners in affected regions carry out emergency work without having to apply for resource consent.

Federated Farmers Hawke's Bay President Jim Galloway told Mike Hosking farms have been severely hit.

He says several have estimated their cost at $200,000 to $500,000 - and orchardists could have costs of $100,000 to $200,000 per hectare.

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